More than Words Can Say

Chapter Seven: The Words Never Spoken

MOMO pulled the blanket neatly over the mattress with Shion tugging it from the opposite side of the bed. Their hands smoothed the cotton-soft surface to get rid of any creases or wrinkles. "Thanks for helping me, MOMO."

She sweetly smiled. "It's okay, I wanted to help you."

Shion looked around the room, sunlight pouring in from the large window. "I haven't slept in this room for a long time." She walked over to an oak dresser on which a rather great mirror was set upon. Small porcelain figures molded in the shape of little animals were also arranged neatly on the dresser. Shion picked up a figure of a pony and held it in the palm of her hand. Its body was white with a light brown mane flowing down its elegant neck and its circular eyes were coal black. The pony's saddle was painted a pastel blue and a pink ribbon was tied around its tail.

MOMO examined it in wonder. "It's so pretty."

Shion smiled in response. "My father gave it to me when I was a little girl. In fact, he gave me all of these. While Jin collected books, I collected animal figures." The young woman took MOMO's fragile hand and placed the pony figure in her palm. "This was one of my favorites. I want you to have it."

"Shion, I can't take this!" MOMO opposed. "It belongs to you."

She shook her head, the braid of her auburn hair moving to and fro against her pretty face. "Please, I want you to keep this. Whenever I was afraid, I always looked to these figures for comfort. It's funny, they were all too fragile to play with, but I still considered them as toys. Now that I am older, I don't really need them as much as I do now. So I want you to keep this one, because I know that you'll take good care of it."

MOMO stared at the delicate porcelain figure in her hand, knowing that no matter what she said it would not change Shion's mind. "I'll keep this safe. Thank you very much, Shion."

Shion wrapped her arms around the Realian girl, almost cradling her as if she were her daughter. For someone that had been put through so much, MOMO still maintained a cheerful and sympathetic character. Shion looked over her with a protective maternal instinct and dreaded the fact that MOMO was still vulnerable to the dangers of the world. She was the younger sister she never had, and Shion felt a duty to look after her.

"Well, I have to go make dinner. When Captain Matthews comes back, we're all going to eat." Shion started for the kitchen and left MOMO to her lonesome in the tidy bedroom.

She seated herself on the edge of the bed and stared at the gift that she was just given. A cozy sleeping bag lied at the foot of her bed, which would serve as a resting place for Shion. MOMO would have gladly slept on the floor, but Shion insisted that she take the bed instead.

She felt the cool feel of the porcelain with her fingers, tracing the smooth curves of the pony's form. Afterwards, she placed it on the nearby nightstand beside the book of fairy tales that she had now cherished. She watched it for a long time, and after minutes went by like an eternity, she buried her face into the softness of her pillow and cried heavily.

* * * *

Jr. was spread out upon the bed facing upward towards the ceiling. His trenchcoat was thrown in a crumpled heap beside him, his thin outstretched arms hanging limply from both sides of the mattress. The open window allowed a gentle breeze to drift into the room, bringing with it the salty smell of the ocean waters. He closed his eyes, although he did not feel like surrendering to the welcoming arms of slumber.

There was a sight shuffling from the other side of the room. chaos was preoccupied with rolling out a sleeping bag onto the wooden floor. Knowing that his crimson-haired ally had much on his mind, he attempted to make an effort toward a friendly conversation.

"It was nice of Jin to let us sleep in his old bedroom."

"Guess so," Jr. answered, rolling onto his side and now staring blankly at the wall to his right. He did not feel like talking. He did not feel like doing anything, for he had too much on his mind.

chaos perceived that Jr. did not want to engage in a discussion of any kind, so he remained quiet. He finished setting up his sleeping bag and made his way toward the door.

"Hey, chaos," he heard Jr. beckon him. The seemingly sixteen-year-old boy looked over his shoulder to see Jr. sitting up from his mattress.

"Yes?"

Jr. hesitated for a moment, and gave up and fell backwards onto the bed. "Never mind."

chaos examined Jr.'s disheartening behavior, but he said nothing. He knew that if Jr. had made the decision not to talk at all, then there was nothing that anyone could do to pry information out of him. He was stubborn in that way and there was nothing that chaos or anyone else could do that would change that.

"All right, then. See you around." chaos left the troubled U.R.T.V. with his thoughts.

Jr. huddled against the sheets in a small ball, his knees tucked closely under his chest. He ignored the strips of yellow and orange sunlight that streamed into the room and the jubilant songs of the blithe robins outside of his window. "...MOMO was crying before we landed on Second Miltia. Whenever I tried to ask her what was the matter, she just smiled and said that it was nothing. But I knew something was wrong. I could always tell."

There was a change in MOMO's conduct, whether or not that anyone else other than Jr. had noticed it. She remains her vivacious self, but there was something off about her. Her actions could not hide the overwhelming grief that she attempted with great endeavor to mask. Jr. knew of this, but he did not make an effort to confront her about it. He thought that doing so would only thrust her into a deeper misery. And yet he hated himself for not doing anything to help the person he loved.

"Well, what could I do anyway?" He angrily asked himself, his fists clenching into fists. "If she doesn't want to talk about it, then there's nothing that I can do. Still...her eyes get so gloomy whenever I look at her. They've been like that a lot lately, and it bothers the hell out of me."

He gripped the blankets tightly in his frustration. He tried to fall to sleep, but his distressed mind prevented him from resting by drowning him in his hopelessness. In agitation, he abandoned the comfort of his bed and left the room, deciding he needed a walk.

As he entered the empty hallway, he picked up the heavy sobs from the room across from the one he shared with chaos. An intense sorrow struck him when he realized that it was MOMO crying. He was about to knock on the door, but something inside of him stopped him.

What could you say that would make her feel any better, the cynical voice in his head questioned him. If she didn't want to talk to you before, what gives you the idea that she wants to talk to you now?

Infuriated at himself, Jr. held back his urge to walk into the room and console MOMO. Instead, he continued down the hallway, her weeping resonating like a bitter tune in his ears.

* * * *

"She was crying?" Shion asked while busying herself with stirring the stew that she was heating on the stovetop. Chunks of thick beef, slices of sweet carrot, and large pieces of hearty potatoes were swimming in the rich bubbling liquid, speckled with small green peas. The scent of the stew was enough to make anyone's mouth water.

"Yes," chaos confirmed while gathering bowls from the cupboard. "I heard her when I was in the hallway."

Shion scooped up some stew in her ladle and began pouring it into each of the bowls that chaos provided her with. "She's starting to worry me. I've never seen MOMO so depressed before."

"Hey, Ms. Vector!" The husky voice of Captain Matthews yelled from the dining room. "When's dinner gonna be served?"

Shion shook her head. "Allen, could you please take these bowls that already have stew in them and take them to the dining room?"

"Sure thing, Chief," Allen took two bowls full of the aromatic stew and departed from the kitchen.

"MOMO is beginning to worry me," Shion admitted while proceeding to fill the empty bowls. "And so is Jr. They've been acting strange lately."

"Jr. is only feeling the effects of MOMO's sadness. I think that he feels guilty because he knows that something is bothering her, but he doesn't know what to do about it." chaos explained.

Allen returned shortly and began collecting two more bowls. "Hey, MOMO and Jr. aren't at the table."

"I saw Jr. going out to the backyard a bit earlier," Shion said. "I'll go call him to dinner after everyone else is served."

"MOMO must still be in the bedroom," chaos spoke. "I don't think she wants anyone to see her in the state that she's in."

"You're probably right. We shouldn't force her to come down here. Can you please take dinner up to her, chaos?"

"I wouldn't mind."

"Thank you. The trays are in the pantry," Shion said while in the process of pouring the stew into two more bowls.

chaos went into the pantry and took out a metallic tray. He took a glass from the cabinet and filled it with cool water. He placed the drink and a bowl of steaming stew onto the tray and with great care, he left the kitchen and went into the living room. He approached the staircase that led to the upper level of the house and with great caution carried MOMO's dinner up the steps. He entered the vacant hallway, which was now silent. He walked over to MOMO's room, a bit concerned that there were no noises from the other side of the door.

His hand rapped on the door. "MOMO? It's me."

"Come in," was the feeble reply. He opened the door to see that MOMO was laying face down on the mattress. Her sleek white boots laid forgotten on the floor. The blankets were wrinkled as if her hands had twisted them in their grip, and the lamp on the nightstand provided a dim light that illuminated the surroundings in the form of a small arc.

chaos sat on her bedside with the warm tray placed onto his lap. "MOMO, I brought you dinner."

"Thank you, but I'm not very hungry," MOMO answered with her face still covered by her pillow.

chaos still persisted. "It's been a long day and you need to eat. Even if you're a Realian, you still need nutrition."

Seeing that chaos would not give up, MOMO sat up from her bed and took the tray from him. She ate slowly, forcing herself to swallow each spoonful of the stew so that it would appease her friend. Besides, perhaps having something warm in her belly would help her rest easier.

After she was finished, she placed her spoon in the empty bowl and took a small drink of water. MOMO went back to lying down and the tray was once again in chaos' possession. She did not speak or move, but chaos remained where he was.

"You're afraid of sleeping, aren't you?" chaos suddenly asked her. MOMO glanced at him, but said nothing. "You're scared of having another nightmare and waking up to find that he's gone. Just like you were on the Elsa."

The tears began to well up in her tired eyes and began to flow down her cheeks like small rivers of crystal liquid. Her sobs returned and her petite body heaved with her shuddering cries. chaos calmed her by running his hands through her thick pink hair and allowing her to cry against his chest. Like this morning, her tears soaked through his blue and orange vest, but he did not mind. MOMO was in need of comfort: she was created by combining machinery with human anatomy, but nevertheless she suffered from sadness like any other human child.

"He fell...I couldn't save him," she wept. "Someone injured him and sent him flying off a tall building, and I tried to pull him up...but Jr. was too heavy and it was raining..."

chaos was silent as she continued. "I keep having these nightmares of him dying. They kept getting more frequent and more frightening that I began to think that they could become real. That's why I told Ziggy that I wanted to give myself up to the Federation. I thought that if I did, Jr. and everyone else would be safe. Then the Federation could get what they want and leave all of you alone."

Her crying diminished gradually as she regained control of herself. chaos stroked her back, holding her tightly in his arms as she settled down. "MOMO, if you did give yourself up to the Federation, that would only complicate matters. You didn't consider how everyone would feel if you just let yourself be taken. The Captain would be too angry to even curse, and Tony and Hammer would be no better. And the rest of us would feel the same way."

MOMO's face lifted from his chest, looking attentively at chaos. "Shion and I would be upset because you're like a little sister to us. Allen would be even more depressed than he usually is because he's used to seeing you helping Shion in the Elsa's kitchen. Ziggy would be formulating some plan to get you back. And I bet that even KOS-MOS would miss you enough to help him. Then there's Jr..."

chaos raised MOMO's wrist so that both their eyes fell upon the charm bracelet that she wore. The bullet shone faintly in the light as if Jr. had melded a dwarf-sized star onto the golden chain. "He gave this to you because he cared about you. He has feelings for you, even if he doesn't show them very much. When you were kidnapped and held in the Song of Nephilim, Jr. was devastated. He fought through all of Albedo's sentries with an indescribable strength that none of us had seen him use before. When we rescued you, he didn't rest until he knew that you were all right. So if you were to be taken by the Federation, it would be like you were kidnapped again. And I don't think any of us would want that to happen."

MOMO was quiet after chaos had finished, trying to digest what he had told her. "I...I would only be making people sad?"

"Yes. We would rather you be with us than letting yourself be taken away by anyone."

She was still for another moment, and then a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "...I understand. Thank you, chaos."

"I'm just speaking for all of us. We've already been through so much together, MOMO. We wouldn't be able to stand it if we let you or anyone else leave." He released her from his arms and gathered up the tray. "You should get ready for bed. The Captain has come back with our luggage. I'll bring up your toothbrush and your pajamas later."

"Okay," MOMO answered and chaos turned to leave. "chaos!"

He looked back at the Realian girl. "...thank you for everything."

He smiled, his sea green eyes gleaming from underneath his silver bangs. He nodded and went out of the room, closing the door behind him.

She took off the orange clips that held her hair. The two sections of her hair were no longer kept in place, so now bunches of light pink tumbled down to her shoulders. She placed her hair clips onto the nightstand, and then suddenly noticed the book that was lying there next to the porcelain horse Shion had given her. She took it into her hands and then opened it, reading where she and Jr. had left off on the Elsa.

* * * *

Jr. sulked in his bedroom, staring at the ceiling like he had done earlier today in all his boredom. It was now a quarter after nine at night. Everyone, excluding himself and MOMO, were downstairs talking and drinking coffee in Jin's living room. After Shion had called him in for dinner, he hastily ate and retreated to his chamber. He had not come out ever since.

"I wonder, did she eat dinner?" He questioned himself when his thoughts drifted back to MOMO. "Did she do anything at all?"

In his curiosity, he left his bedroom and went into the hallway. He drew nearer to MOMO's room, and placed his ear against the door. He strained to hear anything, but failed to do so. He carefully turned the knob and pushed the door slightly ajar.

He found MOMO asleep in her bed. She had changed into her pink nightgown and the blanket covered her up to her waist. The lamp was turned on and a book rested undisturbed in her hands. He tiptoed over to her and took the book from her and examined it. She was in the middle of "Snow White" before she had succumbed to an unearthly world where thoughts ran freely in the shape of colorful dreams. He closed the book and put it next to the lamp. He stared at MOMO and was immediately entranced by her as she slept.

She was beautiful. Her hair was spread out under her head against the pillow like two light scarlet wings, her bangs hung above her closed eyelids like a veil of pink silk. Her ivory skin shone gently from the lamp's illumination, the beating of her heart in rhythm with her noiseless breaths. His hand cupped her cheek as he gazed at her, his cerulean blue eyes never leaving her face.

"MOMO," he whispered her name. "You're the only person that makes me feel the way I do. I don't know when I'll be able to have the guts to tell you this, but..." Even if it seemed as if she could not hear him, the words were difficult to find. "Whenever I see you, I get this feeling. I can't really describe it but...I feel happy. It's like ever since I saw your face for the first time, I forget everything that made my life a living hell. You're...all that I see now. Gaignun bugs me about it and says that I'm in love. Well, so what if I am?"

He saw that her rosy lips were pursed open slightly, and he felt his face draw nearer to her. His head bent down and he closed his eyes as his lips pressed tenderly against hers in a small kiss. After a few seconds, he parted from her and continued to watch over her slumbering form.

"Don't get mad at me when you wake up, okay? Please don't tell anyone what I said. They'll just make fun at me even more."

His hand slipped gently into hers as he looked over her in silence. "I'll never leave you. I'm always going to be here for you when you need me. I promise."

SPECIAL NOTE: I have to say, I really enjoyed writing this particular chapter. But either way, I lied: this chapter wasn't as exciting as I planned it out to be. The next chapter will be however: it will have more angst to it and the plot will thicken up. Oh, and MOMO will be shopping for some new clothes. Funny how things work out when you have writer's block! ^_^

Anyway, I wish I had more time, but it's 12:54 in the morning and as much as I don't want to, I need to do that thing called 'sleep'. Thank you all for your great reviews, I'll address you individually later. I'm so happy that this story is receiving such awesome responses. I'm grateful that you guys are really liking this story! Thanks!!!