Chapter #15 Deep Secrets.

The months grew cold, short and some what lonely. The icy snow had now
blanketed the roads, paths and hill tops. Everything seemed dead. Unmotivated
and motionless. The air was crisp and solemn. But still, out of all things that
were quiet. Quatre's mansion wasn't one of those such things.

Ashley and Duo were bugging each other. Ashley was chasing Duo around, as Kim
and Heero sat at the kitchen drinking tea and eating breakfast. Heero was sipping
back his tea as Trowa walked to the table reading the newspaper.

Trowa's eyes past the pages of the newspaper as he watched Ashley and Duo
squabble about in the dinning room. Ashley and Duo's arguing was now natural.
It seemed as if it were a daily ritual, they were always at it.

Ashley fell to the floor as she gave up on chasing and yelling at Duo. She
placed her hands on her hips as a disgusted look crossed her fair face.

"...humph!....stupid boys...." she mumbled under her breath.

Kim looked at Ashley as she departed the table. Kim looked down at her as
she held her right hand to her hip.

"...let's go Ash...we have work to do"

Ashley nodded rolling her eyes as she stood. She brushed herself off and
followed Kim out of the mansion.

From inside the mansion Heero, Duo, and Trowa watched the two girls giggle
togther as they took off towards the hanger. The two girls ran down the dirt
path as Duo watched them start to disappear from sight. He leaned off the chair
as he fell to the floor, rubbing his head he then looked up at Trowa and Heero
laughing. Heero and Trowa shook their head as Heero muttered.

"...you think he's obsessed much?"

Trowa nodding teasingly as he looked back at the weekly paper.


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Ashley and Kim walked into the hanger. They stopped as they seen the gundam's.
Kim turned to look at Ashley.

"..I heard you the other night" Kim said as she crossed her arms.

"...Haha...What? Heard me do what?" Ashley laughed. She knew what Kim meant
but she played along in pretending that she didn't know what Kim was babbling
on about.

"...You say things in your sleep. You say names....and you talk of your father"
Kim's back rested against the huge mecha.

"...Well..." Ashley paused before she decided to talk again.

"...I do miss him. I kept having dreams of my father, the accident and the
funeral"

Kim stayed silent for a few seconds, pursing her lips togther she spoke,

"...So what is it that you fear then?....is it death?"

Ashley shook her head.

"...No...I'm not afraid to see death nor to die and
killing a person doesn't scare me. I just don't want to be alone or be
deceived like god has done to me so many times. He's taken everything from me."

"What am I afraid of?" Ashley asked herself as she looked up at 04,Oni,the Demon
of the night, the gundam that was made for her. It was silent as Ashley thought
willingly.

"...The future I guess.....I shouldn't live in the past"

Kim smiled and placed a delicate hand on Ashley's shoulder.

"...Then live in the present and takes it as it comes, one day at a time..."

Ashley nodded slightly to show that she understood the conversation that her
and Kim just had moments ago.

The two girls then walked out of hanger. In the shadows a tall figure stood,
arms crossed, eyes closed.

"...Now I know..."

The figure spoke as their cobalt blue eyes flashed open quickly. Their gaze set
upon the gundam which Ashley had called Oni.

The shadow covered figure walked off in the opposite direction from the girls
and pulled a black hat down over his head. He placed his hands in his pockets
of the solid black clothing that he wore. The person disappeared into the fog
and out of sight.

That night, time seemed to pass rather fast. As Ashley thought her eyes welted
with pain and hurt. She didn't know how Kim knew about her dreams and her
problems. Was it that obvious that their was something wrong with her? She knew
she was confused and yet lost. Her thoughts consumed her as her hands grew cold
and her motionless body laid on the bed freely. Her dark green eyes scanned
the ceiling. Finally, movement was made as Ashley's hands found her face and
covered her eyes, nose and mouth. Her voice choked as she turned over into the
pillow and cried.