"What were you thinking?" calmly asked Trowa. He looked over to Quatre who turned off the link.
"Well, if she was looking for a Gundam pilot, and she ended up here, where, coincidentally, we all are, then why not? And she has a Gundam on board, anyway, doesn't she?"
"You're right, but how do we know she's reliable? How do we know she's not going to try to kill us or something?" Duo asked Quatre.
"Give it up, Duo. You know that losing your temper won't solve anything," stated Wufei Chang, "We'll know when we meet her. If she's dangerous, we eliminate her. If she isn't…" he trailed off, not knowing what to say.
"Then she stays," Quatre said quickly in a flat tone, "She sounded nice."
"So now you know exactly what people are like without even meeting them? Why you…" steamed Duo. He got up from the chair he had flopped in and stalked off, mumbling.
Part 6"You must be Anicka Estralla," said Lucrezia Noin as she walked up to the cockpit door.
"Yes, and you are…" said Anicka to the strange woman.
"Lucrezia Noin. The pilots are on their way." And sure enough, she finished her sentence and the five boys came out of the hangar door, led by the platinum blonde-haired Quatre.
"So, you're Anicka," he said, looking her over.
"You ought to be Quatre," she answered, smiling, "Who are they?"
"That's Duo, Wufei, Trowa and Heero," he pointed at each, respectively, after saying their names. Duo had a long brown braid, Wufei was Asian, Trowa's hair flopped stick-straight over his face, and Heero looked as if he had been through a washing machine. She looks all right, nothing wrong with her that I can tell, Quatre anticipated.
There's something wrong with her, thought Wufei, something's not right…
"Where do I take my things?" she asked, noticing the receding daylight and the budding sunset. She heaved a duffel bag out of the cockpit and over her shoulder.
"Here, I'll take that," said Quatre, graciously taking the bag and hoisting it on his own back.
What a gentleman! Anicka told herself. She walked behind him, introducing herself to the other four pilots as they critiqued every move she made. She knew, though, in her heart, that they each would accept her at some point. Her mind went to other things – did they know she had lost her family? Could they tell? No, of course not. I haven't been cold or unfeeling or unfriendly or acted out-of-the-ordinary, have I?
Part 7"She can't stay."
"Well, why not?" Quatre asked an angry Duo as they sat in the lounging room.
"She's too… nice. There's something wrong with her."
"What's wrong with that? I'm nice…"
"Exactly, and when you went over the edge you blew up an entire colony."
"Don't, Duo. That was almost three years ago, and it wasn't my fault."
"Oh, really-"
"Stop it, you two," interjected Wufei, "you're right Duo, I could tell that there was something wrong with her, too, some kind of emotional turmoil… something she wants to hide-" he trailed off, then left the room. Little did they know, she had heard the whole thing from the shadows of the doorway. Anicka had been in the bathroom, then in the door when she heard them talking about her. She would have to tell them what had happened when she knew she could trust them.
Part 8Anicka woke the next morning to all five Gundam pilots standing over her in their pajamas. I could get used to this, she thought. "Five more minutes," the groggy Anicka said as she rolled into a ball on her side. She didn't even get her eyes closed before she heard whispers and chuckles. Glancing up, she saw Duo creep close to her face, whispering, "Hey, sexy."
"Sexy needs some sleep," she countered, pulling the blanket over her head.
"Pilots have to be ready at the drop of a hat. YOU won't be good at that, but since you're a woman, that must not be possible." She peeked out, recognizing the voice of Wufei Chang from the day before, but seeing Trowa Barton when she looked up, his hair still in its perpetual gravity-defying wave.
"Hey, how'd your hair…" she started, but was interrupted by the removal of her shelter – the other pilots had taken her blanket away. Realizing with the chill of the room that she wasn't wearing much – only a ratty old T-shirt – she grabbed her pillow and threw it blindly in Quatre's direction. He caught it in flight and whipped it back, hitting her square in the face. "Don't cross me guys, I'm not a morning person."
"You will be," said the indifferent Heero, angrily stalking off.
She grabbed the corners of her pillow, leapt on to her bed, and said in a deep morning voice, "Who's next?"
Quatre held his hands in front of him and told them, "all right, all right, we're done here guys. Anicka, be ready to leave in half an hour."
"Where are we going?"
"You have something to show us, right?" Quatre smiled at Anicka as she plopped back to her bed cross-legged, grinning, and he was the last to leave the room.
Part 9If you need to fall apart
I can mend a broken heart
If you need to crash, then crash and burn
You're not alone
"Crash and Burn" - Savage Garden
"This…" Anicka said as she yanked away the storage tarp, "is Swordsong."
"What kind of weapons does she have?" Wufei asked, seeming interested, for once, in what she had to say.
"Visible? A light saber and a beam cannon, attached for storage on the back. Concealed? The right hand has a glove that, when pulled away, reveals a mace. The left has a cannon in each finger." Anicka walked briskly around the mobile suit, pointing out other features – a storage compartment in the left leg and a huge first aid kit in the right – and built with a re-enforced hull, for less damage in battle. The only thing wrong was that there was no more battle.
"She's quite a machine, isn't she?" Anicka asked the boys after a long period of silence.
"Yeah, except there's no use for it," said Trowa.
"Hey, why'd you bring it anyway?" Duo demanded with his usual attitude.
"My father… well… he knew it would be hard to stop the battles… and thought you needed help… and… he built it… and then…" she lingered on the last word, unsure if she should tell everyone about her family.
"Well?" Anicka wasn't sure who said this, her eyes were full of tears. Sobbing uncontrollably into her hands, she felt someone leading her into a different room. She followed, not even sure of whom she was following. She shuffled her feet, her head on the mystery man's shoulder.
"What's wrong?" asked the pilot, handing her a tissue. They had made their way into a different room. She wiped her eyes, and saw the trustworthy Quatre sitting next to her on a couch.
"I… can't tell you…" she hesitated.
"Yes, you can, take your time," he said in a quiet voice.
"I was leaving… and…"
"And?"
"And I saw… my… my colony…"
"What? What happened?"
"It…" she couldn't finish. She leaned on him, whimpering softly. He patted her on the back lightly, saying a couple quiet 'shh's.
"It's okay, it's okay. You can tell me anything, don't be afraid."
"It exploded," she spat out, still crying. "I watched my colony go up in flames, my father and brother with it."
"Oh my god, Anicka…" he didn't know how to finish. She leaned to his chest, still crying, and he hugged her and stroked her hair, finally understanding her inner turmoil. As her crying subsided, Quatre, in all his dear-heartedness, gently lifted the sleeping girl and carried her limp form to her room.
Part 10Maybe I don't have the blonde hair you like
Or maybe I don't have eyes like the sky
And I'm not sure if I'm the girl in your dreams
But I can show you what love means.
"Girl in Your Dreams" - M2M
Quatre walked back out to where the Gundam Swordsong had been stored, still being examined by the other pilots.
"What's wrong with her?" asked Duo, seeming concerned.
"Her father and brother died in that colony explosion last week. She just had a breakdown," Quatre answered.
"Just like a woman…" Wufei sneered, "She won't be reliable in any battle."
"Don't say that about her!" Quatre shot back, stepping out of character for once. "She'll be fine, she's just shocked."
"I hope so, we might need her if a battle breaks out," Heero stated.
"This is a great looking Gundam, just look at her," Trowa said in an attempt to change the subject.
"Yeah, great for her to pilot, especially since she isn't using any of ours," Wufei said.
"Oh, just shut up, Wufei. You don't even know her," Quatre stated, stepping out of character once more.
"And you think you do?" Duo questioned.
"Yes, I've talked to her more than all of you combined and I just do, okay?" He had no more arguments so he ended the sentence abruptly. Why was he defending the girl he had just met? He had no idea - a question of honor, perhaps... "Anyway, she's sleeping now. She's not here to defend herself so don't just start cutting her down!" He glared at the other pilots and stalked out of the room.
Quatre crept spy-like into Anicka's room. He sat next to her and brushed her unruly, curly auburn hair away from her face and kissed her on the forehead. Looking over her sleeping form, he smiled. She trusted him with her secret, which was sure. Content in sitting in that chair, he watched her sleep, her sides moving up and down in the rhythmic motion of breathing. She shuddered and sat up, turning to him. "What- what are you…"
He gently grasped her shoulders and pushed her back into her sleeping position, saying "It's OK. You're tired. I get it, now sleep, Anicka."
"How long have you been in here?" she asked sitting back up.
"About five minutes, I had to make sure you were okay," he answered, pushing her back down.
"Were you watching me sleep?" she asked while sitting up yet again.
"Yes," he said quickly, and shoved her back down with all of his strength and held her, "and I can keep doing this all day." He slowly released her.
"I'm fine," she stated, smiling, yawning and stretching like a cat.
"No, you're not, you had a breakdown," he angrily said to her. He looked at her suspiciously, trying to see if she was all right enough to see the others. "Do you think you're okay?"
"I just needed to cry," she smiled again and curled up, facing him, "Thank you, Quatre, for getting me out of there. What do they think of me now that I've flipped out in front of them?"
"I'm not sure, but they were pretty cold about it, calling you a 'typical woman' and saying stuff about you that I won't repeat. And you're welcome."
"Were they really mean about it?"
"Some were. Duo and Trowa acted kind of concerned, Wufei doesn't want you to fight and Heero, as usual, didn't really care."
"Wow, I would never have pegged Duo and Trowa to be the ones to care. You appear to care more than they do, am I right?"
"Well, yeah…" he hesitated, "I care."
"Do you think it's okay that I go out there now? Will they be all right with it?"
"I think so." She sat up on the bed in front of him, cross-legged, and smiled. He smiled back as she whispered a quiet "Thank you" and kissed him gently on the cheek. He watched her every move as she got up and walked toward the door, waiting for him in the entrance to the room. He got up slowly and followed her out.
Anicka and Quatre walked out to Swordsong together, their steps matching perfectly, their hands touching occasionally. Before they walked into the storage room with the other Gundams, to where Swordsong had been moved, they stopped in front of the door, staring into each other's eyes, holding hands. Anicka made the first move, looking down, saying "Should they… umm… find out…"
Quatre lifting her chin and placing his finger to her mouth stopped her sentence short. He grinned smugly and kissed her roughly on the lips. Neither pulled away, waiting for the other to do so first. They fell out of the kiss, gasping for air. Quatre said "No" quietly, staring down at the floor. "They won't accept it. I guess I'm suppose to be the reasonable one."
"And this isn't reasonable?" She moved in to kiss him, but he turned away, and she kissed his cheek.
"No, not really," his voice changed to a whisper, "but they don't need to know." He turned to return her kiss and she accepted it.
"Okay. You go in first, it'll look less suspicious."
"Sneaky," he said as he walked through the door to meet the other pilots.
Part 11
There is a fairy tale for you
Hoping for dreams that will come true
Life doesn't give the best, so find the rest
In you, if your love is true
"Fairy Tale" - Neja
"Wow, where have you guys been?" asked Duo. He was in the hangar with Wufei and Heero. Trowa was gone.
"Out," Anicka abruptly voiced.
"Yeah," Quatre added.
"And where would that be, Anicka and Quatre?" demanded Duo, emphasizing the names.
"I fell asleep and Quatre came to wake me up, okay, now back off!" defended Anicka, stepping back protectively. Quatre was standing close enough to her to elbow her gently in the side without the others noticing and she stepped back. The pilots gave the two a few peculiar glances, trying to figure out what was going on. And then Anicka spoke to break the silence.
"You can call me Ani. It's what my father always called me," a tear rolled down her cheek at the mention of him. "My grandmother was Annie, and my mom and dad wanted a unique name for me, and they came up with Anicka. There's no trace of my family left, they all died last week," her tears flowed as fast as the words could leave her mouth, "except for my mother. Her final victory in life was me." She looked at the pilots through her watery eyes, seeing remorse and even tears on the faces of Duo and Quatre. Wufei seemed sad, and Heero was looking at the floor, hiding his feelings. "I'm sorry, I just broke down. I couldn't stand holding my feelings in anymore, and if any of you think it'll make me a bad pilot, than I'll gladly take them outside and show you how feelings can help a pilot."
Wufei stepped forward a little, happy to oblige, but Duo walked in front of him. "No," he directed at Wufei, and to Anicka he said, "There's no war, but I'm sure that there will be some rivalry battles or just some crazies who want us dead. And you know that they'll want you gone, too, as soon as Swordsong leaves this hangar with another Gundam. You'll need some training, but we would have to find an isolated place to train you, or just send you straight into battle. It's up to you."
"I've been trained," she said, remembering the Aries she had at home. "We outfitted an Aries with my Gundam's program and its beam cannon to train with. I fought against some stolen mobile dolls, enhanced with the same program Swordsong has. I beat every single one of them easy."
"You sound like you can take it – being a pilot. But can you really do it?" asked Duo.
"With one, no, both hands tied behind my back."
"That wouldn't be smart," Heero said, in an attempt to join the conversation.
"No, but I could. The arms wouldn't move, but I would work the thing with my feet if I had to." She saw Trowa walk into the Gundams' lair.
"Well, now's your chance. A battle just broke out not far from here. I don't suggest using your feet," Trowa grinned smugly at her, and she beamed, looking from pilot to pilot, standing motionless with and idiot grin on her face. Her eyes rested on Quatre.
"Ani, get your Gundam," he said simply, and she jumped into action.
Part 12
Anicka flew out of the hangar slowly, unsure of her Gundam. In the sky, she read the coordinates of where she had to go – Northern Arabia. Her sensors interpreted the signs of a Gundam behind her. She addressed the Gundam, saying, "Hey, who's back there?"
"It's me, Quatre."
"Why are you coming with me?"
"They're looking for me down there, my family's estate is being ransacked yet again to find me. I have to go."
"And you wanted to follow me, huh?"
"Of course."
"Well, it looks like we just have some Leos, Aries and Virgos to deal with, not much. I can handle it."
"I have to take on at least one, though, to make my people proud."
"Why, are you like the prince or something?"
"Yes, there's a lot you don't know about me and the others."
"It's not the others that I care about, follow me." She punched in a couple buttons on her control panel and Quatre watched as the Gundam streamlined itself. The engines in the back and on the feet activated and Swordsong snatched through the sky.
Part 13
Don't be afraid at all
'Cause up in outer space there's no gravity
Put your mind and body to the test
'Cause up in outer space it's like the wild wild west
"Space Cowboy" - *NSync
Swordsong and Quatre's Gundam, Sandrock, reached the spot where the fight had broken out. Renegade OZ troops and bounty hunters had bought or stolen almost twenty mobile suits – Aries, Leo and Virgo models – and were fighting the Arab forces in a search for the Gundam pilots. A huge explosion caused turbulence and the Gundams landed in a cloud of smoke. Anicka moved the massive arm of Swordsong and grasped her light saber, preparing to walk out of the dust and sand kicked up by the explosion. Quatre's voice came across on the intercom, saying, "As soon as they see you, they'll concentrate on killing you, too. Be careful."
She watched as if in slow motion, Sandrock stepped out of the sand cloud with its scimitars poised and ready to fight. Swordsong stepped right next to Sandrock. "We've got to cover each other or they'll kill us," she said.
"I thought you were trained?"
"Yeah, in an Aries! I've never actually piloted Swordsong!"
"Shit. Don't worry though, you'll be fine. I'll make sure."
Anicka watched as the intercom screen switched off and wasn't watching when a Leo walked up to Swordsong and shot at her with a hand cannon. She raised the shields and sliced the Leo in half. "Yeah!" she yelled, ripping out her beam cannon to accompany the saber. She blew away three Leos at once with the cannon.
After eliminating the Leos, she sensed rather than saw the Virgo creeping up behind her. "I don't think so!" she extended Swordsong's saber arm straight up and brought its thick elbow crashing down on the Virgo's head, knocking it off-balance. She raised the beam cannon, turned Swordsong around and blasted at the Virgo. Flipping back around, she saw Sandrock slice two Aries in halves. "Go, Sandrock!" she shouted over the intercom.
"You're not that bad yourself, there, Swordsong," he answered. They moved their Gundams back-to-back and fought off most of the opposing force, save a Leo, Virgo and Aries. The leader of the three, the Virgo, started talking over the intercom.
"So we meet again, Quatre," the Virgo coldly voiced.
"How many innocent soldiers will die before I do?" Quatre asked.
"Who is this guy, Quatre?" Anicka interjected, confused as to who this man is and what he had to do with Quatre.
"This guy has been after me since I became a Gundam pilot, and he periodically comes back to find me, usually here in Arabia."
"What's his name?" she asked, and as she did, the Leo, Virgo and Aries all ignited their engines and rushed the Gundams. Swordsong shot her beam cannon at the Aries, and it exploded too close for comfort, knocking her off balance, while simultaneously a Leo, while fighting Sandrock, knocked her down from the back.
"Nooo!" Quatre yelled, "How dare you!" He threw his curved sword at the Leo, and snatched Swordsong's beam cannon to finish up the job, erupting the Leo sky high. He looked up at the wreckage and the Virgo was gone.
Quatre opened Sandrock's hatch and ran to Anicka. He ripped open Swordsong's cockpit door to find Anicka lying unconscious, still holding the controls. She had a huge black and blue bruise on her head. Quatre could see that she had also broken her right leg, it was bent backwards. He gently lifted her battered body from the fallen Swordsong. He carried the girl to Sandrock and used the intercom to call the nearest building – his family's mansion.
"Master Quatre! Good to hear you again!"
"Hello Rashid. I need the emergency transport out here fast, my…" he paused, his brain trying to catch up with his tongue and realize what he was about to say, "friend was injured. She's unconscious. Oh, and I need a conveyor for the Gundams."
"We'll be there right away in the Sand Trekker."
"Thank you, Rashid." He switched off the link. "Don't worry, Anicka. Help is on the way." He looked down at her face, brushed her matted hair from it and kissed her forehead. He checked her again, surveying her injuries. He set her badly-broken lower right leg with a piece of her own flight suit and bandaged several cuts with a piece of his shirt. Once again, Quatre picked up her lifeless body and set out carrying her toward the mansion.