Perfect Beauty

Chapter 12

Silence engulfed the small space between Kanani and Heero, the air filled with tension and anger. Kanani just looked out the window as the plane soared through the sky amidst the white fluffy clouds. Heero hasn't said a word since the last time they spoke which was after they had just taken off. Kanani cocked her head slightly to catch a glimpse of Heero out the corner of her eye. He had a dark expression mounted on his face, one Kanani had never seen before. His eyes danced with fire as he stared at the seat in front of him, his thoughts gone somewhere else. The silence was driving Kanani nuts, she couldn't stand seeing him like this. She leaned her head up on his shoulder carefully and placed her hand on top of his. "Heero?" she whispered.

Heero remained silent and unwavering to Kanani's imploring. Ignoring this, Kanani spoke up once again. "Heero, what do you plan to do when we get there?" her voice calm and quiet.

She looked at him, hoping he would say something but Heero just closed his eyes and his lips remained unmoved. Kanani sighed and shifted away from him, averting her gaze back out the window. Heero had reverted back to his old self and it was hurting Kanani. She didn't want to lose Heero, the one whom she grew to know and love over this past month, the one she gave her heart and soul to. She closed her eyes and slowly turned away from him in an effort to hold back the swell of tears that formed in her eyes. Her hands balled up in to tiny fists as they began to shake with frustration as she clenched them tighter. She couldn't hold the tears back any longer and one by one, they slowly fell down her cheeks. 'Damn, can't I ever stop crying? Why can't I be strong like him?'

Heero glanced over in her direction to check to see if she was all right. When he saw her cheeks moist with fresh tears, he knew she was far from all right. He placed his hand on her shoulder and that was enough for her to turn around. With a gentle hand, Heero brushed the hair away from her eyes and back behind her ears. With a gentle caress, he wiped the tears gently from her cheeks with his fingers. He brought his arm around her shoulders and pulled her body close to his, the other hand bringing her head on to his shoulder. Kanani embraced him around the waist and buried her face in his shoulder. Heero just gave her a soft kiss in her hair and with his fingers, he gently raised her face to his. "Honestly, I really don't know what to do. The thing I do know is that I'm going to take care of this once and for all. I won't let anyone hurt you or your father ever again," he reassured her.

"And what happens when this is all over?"

Heero gave her a kiss and tightened his hold around her even more. "I will be able to love you without the thought of ever having to lose you," he whispered. "I will finally be able to live a normal life. I can't do that without you."

Kanani looked up at Heero and their lips locked in a tender kiss. Not another word was said as they held each other for the rest of the flight, both dreading the time when they would have to land. Within the hour, the plane arrived in Switzerland on schedule and the two got off with only a bag in each hand. "Kanani, I need you to stay close to me, you never know who's the enemy around here ok?" Heero instructed her and Kanani nodded.

She linked her arm in Heero's and he escorted her to their cab awaiting outside the terminal. As soon as they were in the cab, the coast was clear, for now. When the cab got moving, Kanani nudged Heero gently in the ribs and he tilted his head in her direction. "Heero, where are we going?" she asked quietly.

"To your dad's office. I have a feeling that the IRA have already met with your dad, they still might be there," Heero replied.

"Heero, we can't go there, you could get hurt," she said gripping his hand tightly.

"Kanani, we have no choice. Besides, this is my job, I'm trained to do this," a smug smile tugging at his lips with those words.

"I thought you were my bodyguard Heero," she asked innocently.

"Don't you remember? I was a trained assassin before I became your bodyguard. I have extensive training in matters such as these. This is why your father hired me, just believe in me Kanani," Heero reassured her but even those words weren't enough to ease the worry still lingering within.

Before Kanani could counter, the taxi driver called out, "You're here sir."

The car pulled up in front of her father's building. Heero handed the cab driver his fare and quickly exited the cab with bags in hand and Kanani right behind him. Heero scanned the area for any suspicious men and after seeing everything was clear, he took Kanani by the hand and they walked in to the building. Heero immediately searched for the nearest bathroom and once he spotted it, he casually walked over to it with Kanani close behind. "Heero, where are we going?" she whispered.

"Just follow me."

When they got to the bathrooms, Heero paused and looked around to make sure no one was looking. He looked at Kanani and he motioned with his head to go inside. She had no idea where he was going with this but she didn't question his motives. Before she knew it, Heero was right in the ladies room with her. "Heero, what are we doing in here?" she said dumbfounded.

Heero put his bag on the ground and opened it up. Kanani's eyes went wide when she saw his little arsenal of weapons. Heero took off his jacket and slipped a gun holster over his shoulders and stuffed two fully loaded automatics in each holster. He tucked another gun behind his back and a knife in his front pocket of his pants. He put his jacket back on and put the last of his guns in his front pocket. "Heero, where did you get all of these?" Kanani asked wide-eyed.

"I never leave home without these. Here, this is for you, just in case," he said giving her a small pistol. "Don't be afraid to use it if you have to all right?"

She just nodded and put the tiny gun in her coat pocket. Heero slid his bag under one of the bathroom stalls to conceal it. He then turned to Kanani and asked, "Are you ready?"

"I think so," she muttered nervously.

"Don't worry, just stay close to me and you may never have to use that. All right, let's go."

Kanani nodded and followed Heero out of the bathroom. The two walked over to the front desk where a receptionist was waiting. "Is Mr. O'Neal in?" Kanani asked the young lady.

"Oh hi Ms. O'Neal. Your father is in," the lady replied.

"Had he had any visitors today by chance?"

"Yeah, just a few hours ago a few young men came in. Is something the matter Ms. O'Neal?"

"Oh nothing at all. Must be a few of dad's co-workers. May I go up and see him?" Kanani said as she tried to hide the anger in her voice.

"Go right on up. Would you like me to tell him you're coming?"

"It's all right. I'm going to surprise him," she informed the receptionist with a smile on her face. "Good day," Kanani said as she turned on her heel and headed towards the elevator with Heero.

As soon as they were in the elevator car, they both knew they couldn't turn back. The ride to the top floor seemed to take forever as they watched the buttons light up with each floor they passed. Kanani was terrified at this moment but she knew she had to be brave for her father, for Heero. The elevator came to a stop and with a ding, the doors opened on to the top floor. "Well hello Ms. O'Neal," her father's secretary greeted them.

"Hi, is father busy?"

"Actually, he has been expecting you, go right on in," the secretary said just as the door opened to her father's office.

"Thank you," Kanani replied.

"Kanani, be careful, they are already in there," he whispered. She nodded and with Heero by her side, they entered.

"Hi dear," Mr. O'Neal said as the doors shut behind them.

Heero glanced around the room and saw about five men lurking in the shadows. He stood there by the door and watched them with a close eye as Kanani took a seat at her father's desk, she had no idea that they were there. Heero didn't want to do anything just yet, he wanted to make sure that they were the ones he was after. With that in mind, he melded in to the shadows so he could not be seen, he wasn't the one they were initially watching, stupid move on their part. Kanani studied her father's face and saw that his eyes kept looking around the room with great fear. "Daddy, what's wrong?"

Her father said nothing and just then a man with fiery red hair and brown eyes stepped out and stood behind him. He wore a snug long sleeve shirt and black army style pants and a beret that adorned his head. "Hello Kanani, my how you have grown."

"What are you talking about, I don't know you..." then realization hit. "You are one of the men that killed my mother," she growled.

"It was not I that killed her, your father's words killed her," the man said calmly.

"Liar! I was there and you tried to kill me as well!" she screamed as her body started to shake violently.

"Ah yes, two birds with one stone. The thing is, we only got one bird."

"What?"

"We need the other birdie, say hi to your mother for me."

"Dad, help me!" she cried as four men crept out from the shadows all with the same attire as the guy behind the chair.

What Kanani did not know was that her father was bound behind the chair, there was nothing he could have done. Heero moved with stealth across the room, hanging in the shadows to keep himself hidden. Just then, the click of a gun could be heard and before he knew it, the man beside her father had a gun in this neck. "Back away from her now," he growled at the four men.

With smug looks on each of their faces, one man replied, "Sure, whatever you say."

At that moment, they reached for their guns and Kanani quickly dropped to the floor under her father's desk. Shots rang out and she became frozen with fear, this was all too familiar for her. Images of that day several years ago flooded her mind as the same fear came over her body. Heero managed to push her father down on the ground out of harm's way and use the man's body as a shield and then dove back behind the desk. 'Oh god, Heero, I must help Heero,' Kanani repeated in her head. She looked down at her pocket and with her hands still shaking, she drew her gun. With her hands gripping the gun tightly, the fearful look in her eyes dissipated and rage possessed them. "You bastards!" she screamed as she fired the gun at the assailants.

The men were taken by surprise as they weren't expecting her to be armed. Her adrenaline was high and all she could think about was getting revenge at the people who killed her mother. She had fired a round of consecutive bullets before hearing a click from her gun, she was out of bullets. She looked up from her position and saw four bodies laying on the floor, none of them moving. Kanani crawled out from under the desk, her body shaking as she dropped her gun to the floor. "Heero? Dad?" she murmured with tears in her eyes.

"Over here Kanani," Heero called.

Kanani walked behind the desk and saw her father alive and well on the floor and the body of the man protecting him. Heero was sitting up against the desk covered in blood, he had been shot in the arm. "Oh god Heero, are you ok?" Kanani cried as she fell to the floor beside him.

"It's nothing, are you ok?" Heero asked as he placed a hand on her cheek.

"I'm, I'm fine. Daddy, are you ok?"

"Besides having a dead man on top of me, I'm fine. Speaking of that, can one of you pull him off of me?" Mr. O'Neal replied sarcastically.

Kanani and Heero chuckled as they moved the body off of her father and untied him. They all stood up and made there way to the door. Unbeknownst to them, one of the men was still alive, just barely. As Heero helped Mr.O'Neal out, Kanani heard a click of a gun and saw the man on the floor with his gun pointed at Heero and her father. "Dad, Heero watch out!" she screamed as she threw her body in front of them.

The shot rang out in the room and next thing Heero knew, Kanani was laying on the floor with blood seeping from her abdomen. The shot had taken the rest of the guy's strength and he died just the moment after he fired the bullet. "Kanani!" Heero cried out.

"Quick, go call an ambulance!" Heero shouted at Mr. O'Neal.

Mr. O'Neal ran out of the office and called the paramedics. Heero dropped to Kanani's side and cradled her in his arms, tears running down his face. "Kanani, now why did you have to go and do that?" he said softly to her.

With weary eyes, she cracked a smile and muttered, "Love makes you do strange things."

Heero chuckled faintly as more tears poured down his face. "I'm the one who's supposed to protect you remember?"

"Well I wanted to protect you," she said as she grimaced in pain.

"Please, hang on. I don't know what I will do without you," Heero cried.

She rested her hand on his face and mouthed softly, "Don't worry, you're free now."

"Wait, what's that supposed to mean?" Heero cried as he saw her eyes start to shut. "Kanani!"