Warning: Certain characters are flying madly OOC, here. Don't say I didn't
warn you.
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Chapter 3- Slap jack
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Relena and Milliardo sat on the cots, facing each other. The afternoon sunlight poured in through the barred window and fell into a puddle in the middle of the cell. A slap and a loud "Owwww!" could be heard all the way down the hall by the guard at the stairs. He quickly walked toward the locked door and opened the peephole. He peered inside to see a game of slapjack in place between the brother and sister. Milliardo shook his hand to get rid of the pain and winced.
"You are such a sore loser!" he said to his little sister and picked up the thick pile of cards on the small table in front of him.
"Hmmm." Relena grunted and narrowed her eyes jokingly. "See that's funny, 'cause I thought your motto was always 'no pain, no gain'." She said and the pouting frown on her face transformed into a grin. "Besides, I still have a few cards left."
"Not if I can help it!" cried Milliardo triumphantly and he slapped down an ace face up.
"Ya know," Relena took a sip of her water and put down and eight. "This 'kidnapping' stuff is kind of fun."
"Mmhmm. It's quite a vacation." Milliardo placed a jack on the eight. Instantly each arm shot out, but unfortunately for her, Relena got the upper hand.
"MWA HA HA HA!" her brother crowed and jumped up. "I win! I win!" Relena made a face and mimicked him.
"Ooooooh! I win! I win! I'm so special."
"I don't care what you say. I am the victor!" Milliardo bounced up and down on his cot, white hair flying everywhere. He sprang down and turned to face her.
"You SUCK!" he bellowed and did a little victory dance. Relena rolled her eyes and shuffled the cards.
"You ...have....problems, silly brother.
It had been several days since they had been brought to this "prison" and Relena had recovered very well. She had told Milliardo what happened, and him her. Fortunately, the solitude of their cell was just the right medicine for the traumatic ordeal. Relena still had nightmares of what happened in the limo and she would scream in her sleep. She would scream and cry and writhe in terror until Milliardo woke her up and rocked her back asleep, singing lullabies that he knew their parents had sung to her in their nursery. He remembered hearing them in the middle of the night and being soothed by their gentle rhythm. And then, after he detected his parent's footsteps going back down the hall, he would soundlessly open his door and creep into her room. He would pull up the rocking chair to her crib side and stand on his tiptoes to gaze at this sleeping baby sister. If she stirred, he would murmur the lullabies to her until she was at peace.
In the cell, he would kneel next to her cot and wait until she stopped hiccuping. Then he would cover her up and go back to sleep. This process took an hour at least, but they could sleep in as long as they wanted. The guard never came to see what was wrong, even though Milliardo was sure the whole building could here her scream over and over and over. Slowly the screams would turn to bawling and then to sobbing.
If she remembered what happened, she would apologize profusely in the morning. As the days and nights passed, the nightmares subsided. But it took at least two weeks before the vision of the driver, the horrified look on his face, the gunshots, and the gaping whole with thick red liquid oozing out stopped haunting her.
Their daily schedule was very routine and consistent, but not tiring or dull like Relena's old political days. They had been given clothes to change into, which was fortunate, because Relena was very uncomfortable in the suit she had been wearing.
They would wake up to a breakfast of toast and oatmeal, which was actually quite tasty. Milliardo forced Relena to let him test hers every day to check for poison. Actually, He did that for every meal, but nothing ever happened.
Then they would be allowed to shower and use the bathroom, escorted one at a time to the windowless restroom. They even had toothbrushes and high quality toothpaste! Milliardo would always spend the time in which Relena was gone knawing on his fingernails with worry. Everything was extremely hygienic and despite Relena's previous thoughts, there were no rats. Not anymore at least.
Lunch was the little ramen noodle packets and a jug of water, which was always kept filled on the table. And dinner was usually soup with bread. It was all more than enough to keep them from starving. They were given a pack of cards to use and a small selection of books. Any extra time on their hands was spent conversing and getting to know each other better.
In fact, the only downside to their "captivity" was that they were never allowed outside.
One day, they were both lying on the cots, which had been moved into the sunlight, and were just enjoying each other's company when Relena finally worked up the courage to ask a question that only Milliardo could know the answer to.
"Milliardo...what...what were Mama and Papa like?"
Milliardo's breath caught in his throat, which seemed to have instantly swollen. He felt the air in his lungs stop as the corners of his eyes began to sting. When breath finally did come to him, it was in a short gasp. Relena waited patiently, predicting that her brother would react this way. Milliardo sucked in deep and began.
"They...they were wonderful. They always gave hugs and told me they loved me. They always made time for me, no matter what was going on... Papa would play ball with me. Mama would read me stories while I sat in her lap."
He sucked in again, as if he couldn't breathe correctly. His throat was very itchy.
"I never had nightmares. Mama would rock me to sleep and then put me in bed." He smiled at the thought and tears began to brim in his eyes. "One year, I remember how much I wanted a puppy. Papa said I couldn't ...'cause I wouldn't take care of it. I prayed every night for that puppy. Then on Christmas morning, there he was: sleeping under the tree, a golden retrieved puppy with a big red bow around his neck. I-I don't remember what else I got that year. I named him Buddy."
Milliardo paused and ran a hand over his eyes. Relena continued to stare at the ceiling.
"When you were born, they were so proud. They showed you off at all the parties. I was proud, too. They let me hold you, and never worried about me dropping you. You never screamed, just cried softly."
He paused again, this time for five minutes. She just kept staring up, eyes filled with tears.
"When the house was attacked, Papa ran to my room and grabbed me, Mama to yours. I remember screaming for Buddy over and over. He was still in my room, locked in his case. That was the first time you screamed, too. The terrorists had crawled through the guest bedroom's window and ran into the hall. They..."
His voice cracked.
"They mowed them down. I remember falling out of Papa's arms. I don't know how you didn't get hurt. One of the butlers flew over and scooped us up. He flung me over his shoulder and carried you with his other arm. I remember looking back and seeing Mama leaning over Papa. Her face...", he sobbed, "was shiny with tears, and Papa had his hand to her cheek."
"Then his hand fell and she coughed up blood. Over and over. She couldn't stop. She was throwing up blood. I reached for them...but....but I couldn't help them." He stood up and walked to the window, hands in his hair. "Then we were outside, in the bushes. A maid was rocking you and the butler hugged me. They were burning the mansion. I could hear Buddy howling, screaming, yelping. His beautiful coat.was burning. He was burning, too. All I could do was scream." He slowly sucked in a breath ragged with anger. "I didn't help them! I didn't help them!"
Milliardo screamed, yanking on the window bars. Finally, he collapsed and slid down into a slumped position on the floor, sobbing and muttering "I didn't help them". Relena dropped to her knees next to him and embraced him. She rocked back and forth whispering:
"It wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could do. It's ok. I'm here." Over and over and over until finally he was sighing and hiccuping and her shoulder was wet with his tears. She moved the cot back into the shade and helped him on to it. He fell asleep and stayed asleep. When their dinner was pushed through the tiny flap at the bottom of the door, she woke him softly. She had him sit up, and fed him the soup, spoonful by spoonful until there was none left. Then she laid him back down again and he slept.
* * * *
I know, I know. Madly OOC Milliardo. I'm sorry. *dodges bricks being thrown at her* Really, I am sorry! ^_^ Review or.. be quartered.. *evil smile*
* * * *
Chapter 3- Slap jack
* * * *
Relena and Milliardo sat on the cots, facing each other. The afternoon sunlight poured in through the barred window and fell into a puddle in the middle of the cell. A slap and a loud "Owwww!" could be heard all the way down the hall by the guard at the stairs. He quickly walked toward the locked door and opened the peephole. He peered inside to see a game of slapjack in place between the brother and sister. Milliardo shook his hand to get rid of the pain and winced.
"You are such a sore loser!" he said to his little sister and picked up the thick pile of cards on the small table in front of him.
"Hmmm." Relena grunted and narrowed her eyes jokingly. "See that's funny, 'cause I thought your motto was always 'no pain, no gain'." She said and the pouting frown on her face transformed into a grin. "Besides, I still have a few cards left."
"Not if I can help it!" cried Milliardo triumphantly and he slapped down an ace face up.
"Ya know," Relena took a sip of her water and put down and eight. "This 'kidnapping' stuff is kind of fun."
"Mmhmm. It's quite a vacation." Milliardo placed a jack on the eight. Instantly each arm shot out, but unfortunately for her, Relena got the upper hand.
"MWA HA HA HA!" her brother crowed and jumped up. "I win! I win!" Relena made a face and mimicked him.
"Ooooooh! I win! I win! I'm so special."
"I don't care what you say. I am the victor!" Milliardo bounced up and down on his cot, white hair flying everywhere. He sprang down and turned to face her.
"You SUCK!" he bellowed and did a little victory dance. Relena rolled her eyes and shuffled the cards.
"You ...have....problems, silly brother.
It had been several days since they had been brought to this "prison" and Relena had recovered very well. She had told Milliardo what happened, and him her. Fortunately, the solitude of their cell was just the right medicine for the traumatic ordeal. Relena still had nightmares of what happened in the limo and she would scream in her sleep. She would scream and cry and writhe in terror until Milliardo woke her up and rocked her back asleep, singing lullabies that he knew their parents had sung to her in their nursery. He remembered hearing them in the middle of the night and being soothed by their gentle rhythm. And then, after he detected his parent's footsteps going back down the hall, he would soundlessly open his door and creep into her room. He would pull up the rocking chair to her crib side and stand on his tiptoes to gaze at this sleeping baby sister. If she stirred, he would murmur the lullabies to her until she was at peace.
In the cell, he would kneel next to her cot and wait until she stopped hiccuping. Then he would cover her up and go back to sleep. This process took an hour at least, but they could sleep in as long as they wanted. The guard never came to see what was wrong, even though Milliardo was sure the whole building could here her scream over and over and over. Slowly the screams would turn to bawling and then to sobbing.
If she remembered what happened, she would apologize profusely in the morning. As the days and nights passed, the nightmares subsided. But it took at least two weeks before the vision of the driver, the horrified look on his face, the gunshots, and the gaping whole with thick red liquid oozing out stopped haunting her.
Their daily schedule was very routine and consistent, but not tiring or dull like Relena's old political days. They had been given clothes to change into, which was fortunate, because Relena was very uncomfortable in the suit she had been wearing.
They would wake up to a breakfast of toast and oatmeal, which was actually quite tasty. Milliardo forced Relena to let him test hers every day to check for poison. Actually, He did that for every meal, but nothing ever happened.
Then they would be allowed to shower and use the bathroom, escorted one at a time to the windowless restroom. They even had toothbrushes and high quality toothpaste! Milliardo would always spend the time in which Relena was gone knawing on his fingernails with worry. Everything was extremely hygienic and despite Relena's previous thoughts, there were no rats. Not anymore at least.
Lunch was the little ramen noodle packets and a jug of water, which was always kept filled on the table. And dinner was usually soup with bread. It was all more than enough to keep them from starving. They were given a pack of cards to use and a small selection of books. Any extra time on their hands was spent conversing and getting to know each other better.
In fact, the only downside to their "captivity" was that they were never allowed outside.
One day, they were both lying on the cots, which had been moved into the sunlight, and were just enjoying each other's company when Relena finally worked up the courage to ask a question that only Milliardo could know the answer to.
"Milliardo...what...what were Mama and Papa like?"
Milliardo's breath caught in his throat, which seemed to have instantly swollen. He felt the air in his lungs stop as the corners of his eyes began to sting. When breath finally did come to him, it was in a short gasp. Relena waited patiently, predicting that her brother would react this way. Milliardo sucked in deep and began.
"They...they were wonderful. They always gave hugs and told me they loved me. They always made time for me, no matter what was going on... Papa would play ball with me. Mama would read me stories while I sat in her lap."
He sucked in again, as if he couldn't breathe correctly. His throat was very itchy.
"I never had nightmares. Mama would rock me to sleep and then put me in bed." He smiled at the thought and tears began to brim in his eyes. "One year, I remember how much I wanted a puppy. Papa said I couldn't ...'cause I wouldn't take care of it. I prayed every night for that puppy. Then on Christmas morning, there he was: sleeping under the tree, a golden retrieved puppy with a big red bow around his neck. I-I don't remember what else I got that year. I named him Buddy."
Milliardo paused and ran a hand over his eyes. Relena continued to stare at the ceiling.
"When you were born, they were so proud. They showed you off at all the parties. I was proud, too. They let me hold you, and never worried about me dropping you. You never screamed, just cried softly."
He paused again, this time for five minutes. She just kept staring up, eyes filled with tears.
"When the house was attacked, Papa ran to my room and grabbed me, Mama to yours. I remember screaming for Buddy over and over. He was still in my room, locked in his case. That was the first time you screamed, too. The terrorists had crawled through the guest bedroom's window and ran into the hall. They..."
His voice cracked.
"They mowed them down. I remember falling out of Papa's arms. I don't know how you didn't get hurt. One of the butlers flew over and scooped us up. He flung me over his shoulder and carried you with his other arm. I remember looking back and seeing Mama leaning over Papa. Her face...", he sobbed, "was shiny with tears, and Papa had his hand to her cheek."
"Then his hand fell and she coughed up blood. Over and over. She couldn't stop. She was throwing up blood. I reached for them...but....but I couldn't help them." He stood up and walked to the window, hands in his hair. "Then we were outside, in the bushes. A maid was rocking you and the butler hugged me. They were burning the mansion. I could hear Buddy howling, screaming, yelping. His beautiful coat.was burning. He was burning, too. All I could do was scream." He slowly sucked in a breath ragged with anger. "I didn't help them! I didn't help them!"
Milliardo screamed, yanking on the window bars. Finally, he collapsed and slid down into a slumped position on the floor, sobbing and muttering "I didn't help them". Relena dropped to her knees next to him and embraced him. She rocked back and forth whispering:
"It wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could do. It's ok. I'm here." Over and over and over until finally he was sighing and hiccuping and her shoulder was wet with his tears. She moved the cot back into the shade and helped him on to it. He fell asleep and stayed asleep. When their dinner was pushed through the tiny flap at the bottom of the door, she woke him softly. She had him sit up, and fed him the soup, spoonful by spoonful until there was none left. Then she laid him back down again and he slept.
* * * *
I know, I know. Madly OOC Milliardo. I'm sorry. *dodges bricks being thrown at her* Really, I am sorry! ^_^ Review or.. be quartered.. *evil smile*