- Chimera of Life -
Story Five: Righteous Mirage
Chapter Twelve By Heartfire~*~
It was late… cold… dark… And yet she could feel none of these things because she was one with it… How could an empty shell feel anything more than such? She glanced up at the velvety sky without a single stud of glimmer… the moon was red as if tainted with blood and she looked away… Her eyes fell on a small church… White picket fence bordered its lawn and upon it, flowers with Relena's pictures…
She stopped just in front of its white gate… an open gate… Millions of people were praying for Relena… but who would pray for Jess?
A fresh batch of tears clouded her eyes and she pressed her fingers to her trembling lips. She wants them to die… Maybe the same way Jess died… a loud, searing heat of explosion… It would be easy… so easy…
She started walking without destination in mind then she found herself in front of her own house… In front of her own lifeless house… She took out her cold key and inserted it in the hole… The door opened silently and when she stepped inside… it was just as cold as the outside…
Without bothering to take off her coat or shoes she started to walk up the stairs and into her bedroom…
No noise… no laughter…
She closed her door… took off her coat then… almost ceremoniously, she took off his scarf… For a moment, she just stared at it then she brought it to her nose and smelled it once again… Her tears fell down and seeped into its folds… One hand went up to her collar and clutched the daffodil necklace while she walked to her bed… then she dropped on top of it and curled into a ball to silently weep on the scarf in her tight embrace.
…
"I'm going to kill him… I'm so going to kill him…"
Hilde looked down at Duo's hands, wringing the life out of his fishing hat, and could only sigh. She could understand his frustration. She was angry herself! "Duo, please… I'm sure they have a perfectly good explanation for all of this."
"What explanation can that be? Why can't these dumb assholes-" Duo pointed an irritated hand at the men behind him just as they entered the building from the helipad- "Say it?!" Murderous violet eyes glared at the men with heavy artillery still pointed at them. This whole event was insane! "You hear me you freakin'-"
"Duo…" Hilde's reprimanding tone hushed him, but it didn't stop him from pursing his lips and pouting while they walked down the winding stairs. She held out her hand for him, and thankfully, he reached out for her.
"I'm sorry about this, angel." Duo whispered in a sigh.
"It isn't your fault… It's Wufei's…" This time, it was she who felt the want to kill that pony-tailed creep for sending these men after them on their honeymoon- a honeymoon that she had waited for nearly ten damn years!
A sudden chuckle from her side made her slant her eyes at her husband.
"Careful, darling… I know exactly what you want to do to him." He saw her message loud and clear. Thank God she wants the same thing he does- murder Wufei for disrupting their honeymoon! They had been having such a good time… His violet eyes turned a shade darker as he glanced at the woman who held his hand, trying to see if he could get a glimpse of her navy blue bikini… the one she wore on the beach while he ran after her in his black shorts… caught her… rolled on the ground with her… and nearly made passionate love with her… then those bozos came in and scared the shit off them with their goddamn guns!
He almost thought that they were from Arche because they were standing against the sun's glare… then someone said something like- "Commander Chang's orders, sir. Sorry about this." The team of eight men only gave them enough time to put the first clothes they could get their hands on… He could still feel the sand on his skin, and that made him want to strangle the life out of Wufei. "Just make sure that I get a piece of him, too, angel… coz he didn't have any right to do this to us."
"After I'm done with him…" Hilde muttered darkly.
Duo felt the pressure on his hand that showed her anger. That's his wife! Look out, Wufei.
They finally stopped in front of a door. Duo's quick eyes surveyed the top of the line security pad, and his skin could almost feel the sizzle of lasers, ready to put a hole through any intruders. He looked up and he could almost tell where the microscopic surveillance cameras were located. When he glanced down, the same question was in Hilde's eyes- 'Why are they using the high maintenance security devices?' Well… so what?! He doesn't care! Wufei took him away from his fun and he's gonna pay!
One of the men punched in a number on the pad, but Duo saw that they could have used an ID, too. The door swished open and showed a room that made his hands itch. A room full of the best equipment- then the back of a man's head caught his eyes, and he remembered what he was here for.
"Sir-"
"The hell is going on here, Wufei?!" His angry shout caught everyone's attention, but he didn't care.
Slowly, Wufei turned and Duo almost felt a chill creep around his heart. Was that Wufei? Why the tired, haggard face? He could tell that his Chinese friend was trying very hard to cover it, but he could still feel it, and the inkling to beat the hell out of him slowly disappeared.
"Wufei… what happened?" Hilde asked, feeling the same reaction as her husband. She had seen enough of Wufei from their visits and never have they seen him look like… Her eyes widened, then her heart started to pump cold blood through her veins… "Where's Relena?"
Duo snapped his attention back at Hilde and saw her worried eyes. Relena… was this what it was all about? Where is she?
"She's upstairs… Finally awake." Wufei's protective demeanor rose once again. Sally told them the news yesterday. She's finally awake and he'd see to it that she'd never be hurt again…
"Finally?" Duo almost couldn't say that word. He could tell that Hilde wanted to ask a question, but she seemed to be in shock. So he asked… for both of their sakes. "What happened to her?"
"She was shot during her last conference, Duo…" Wufei grimaced while his hand gripped the other behind him. He looked around him and noticed stillness around the room.
Hilde nearly took a step back while Duo… couldn't believe his ears. He had to swallow a couple of times before he could speak. "Heero…?"
"He just blew up their base." He noticed the couple's pale face and he turned away to stare at the screen where the explosion was shown just a few hours ago. "I really don't care that he did. They were probably the same bastards who tried to assassinate her before… the ones who almost succeeded during my last shift with her. Damn assholes…"
Duo and Hilde looked at each other, their guilt obvious on their faces. It wouldn't do to keep it a secret… might as well say it… He shook his head when Hilde opened her lips, and told her with his eyes that he would like to be the one to tell Wufei… It was his fault. She only nodded and showed him that she will not leave his side.
"No, Wufei… they aren't…"
Wufei snapped his attention back at them, his eyes showed his confusion. "What the hell do you mean, Maxwell?"
Duo cleared his throat, feeling everyone's undivided attention on him and he stepped forward to block some of the stares away from Hilde. "I mean…" He remembered his plan. Hilde would wait for him with the gun after he gives his excuse to Heero. He'd sneak in the hall which he surveyed the night before, wait for Relena to drop the pencil, shoot, go back to Hilde with the ice creams, and finally, to Heero. It was all so simple. "They aren't."
Wufei raised an eyebrow. He doesn't need to tell Maxwell to explain himself. He could already tell that the braided man was going to do it.
"Her last conference with you… the assassin…" Duo gave a strangled, mirthless chuckle before he continued. "That was me." There, he said it. He could tell that everyone's eyes had gone wide, while Wufei's just did the opposite. His friend slowly walked up to him, and he forced his feet to stay put.
"That was… you? My shift?" Wufei's voice was unusually calm.
"Yeah-"
"What the hell did you think you were doing?!" Wufei's hands snaked out to grab Duo's collar, then pushed him back until his so called friend hit the wall.
Hilde nearly screamed in surprise and could only stare at the two.
"I wasn't going to shoot if she wasn't going to drop her pencil!" Duo quickly voiced out, just to show Wufei that his anger was going in the wrong direction.
Wufei's hold loosened. "You mean she knew it was you?"
"No." Duo quickly shook his head. "I gave her a note." Duo could tell that Wufei didn't believe him.
"I didn't see it."
"She probably didn't show it to you."
Whether or not she showed it to him, he didn't care. What he wanted to know was… His hands tightened their grip on Duo's Hawaiian shirt once again. "What the hell were you thinking when you did that?"
"I was only trying to help, Wufei." Duo replied as calmly as he could, letting Wufei spew off his entitled anger.
"Help?! How?!" Wufei banged Duo against the wall once again. The braided baka was bigger than him, but bigger didn't necessarily mean stronger. "By killing her?!"
"I told you! I wouldn't have pulled the trigger if she hadn't dropped the damn pencil!"
"What kind of help were you thinking?! Putting her in intensive care?!"
Hilde cringed at her husband's demise. She also had a part in this. Duo shouldn't take this on by himself. "No… By getting Heero's attention."
Wufei knew exactly what they were saying but he couldn't see it. He didn't mind letting the others hear… they already knew that something was going on between 01 and Ms. Dorlian from the conversation before the explosion. He also told them what he would do to any of them if it got out. "There were others before yours. What made you think that Yuy would go out of hiding with that one?"
"All the other attempts were not as close as ours was." Hilde answered for both of them. She could only pray for this to end.
"And we succeeded, Wufei…" Duo added. They succeeded.
Wufei's hold slackened then before anyone could have predicted what could happen, his fist lashed out and embedded itself in Duo's lower stomach.
Duo's body jerked forward, surprise etched on his face while Hilde gasped. Slowly, the braided man fell down to his knees with his hands clutching gut, and mouth open in almost a silent scream. He knew he deserved that one punch… and he will not go after Wufei with that one, but when he felt Wufei grab his hair and pull him up… anger started to spawn its ugly head in him.
"She was better off without him." Wufei muttered under his breath while he remembered Relena's face during their last conversation… Heartbreak… and Duo had a hand in playing with her heart. He couldn't stop himself as he gave another mind numbing blow on Duo's solar plexus. He saw Duo's violet eyes widen in shock… Heard Hilde's voice from behind… Ping's voice… What do they know of what Relena had gone through? They weren't there to see… but he was…
He let Duo's hair go, and he saw how the braided baka's eyes slowly dimmed. He stepped back and Duo fell to the floor. Without another word, Wufei turned around and walked back to Mariemaia's side for her orders while Hilde rushed to her husband. He could feel Ping's disapproving glare on his back, but he couldn't care less…
…
A soft knock pulled her out of her dreamless sleep, and slowly, Dorothy opened her eyes. For a moment, she thought that everything was a dream… that everything was just as it was but then her eyes fell on the scarf still, pressed against her lips… Everything crashed around her once again and she kissed the scarf while her eyes closed and she tried to conjure an image of its owner…
The soft knock echoed once again and a hushed voice followed its suit. "Ms. Dorothy? Are you awake?"
Dorothy sighed. Her face felt- as kids would say- icky, and her throat was parched but other than that, "Yes Melanie… I'm awake." Now…
Her meek, middle-aged servant walked into the room with a tray of steaming soup then gave an apologetic smile at Dorothy. "I'm sorry if I woke you up, ma'am, but… I was worried that you might have a fever and… well… I know that you do not eat airplane food and you just came back from your trip yesterday… and I didn't hear you come in until after midnight…" Her words trailed off as she looked down at her shoes in embarrassment.
Dorothy frowned, a bit confused… Melanie was actually worried for her? "How long have you worked for me, Melanie?"
"Nearly ten years, ma'am…"
Dorothy nodded… she hadn't realized that… actually, she never really gave much thought about her until now… What Melanie just said had… somewhat… filled something in her… "Have I been a good employer, Melanie?" She watched her servant bite her lower lip. "Answer truthfully now."
"Overall, I will say that you are, ma'am… You are efficient and demand the highest from everyone but that was expected… and you've never screamed at me nor hurt me… so I will say that you are… a good employer."
Before Jess, she had never really been aware of anyone… "Good… but not the best, am I correct?"
Melanie didn't answer.
"Don't… you don't have to answer." Dorothy sighed before she pushed herself against her headboard then arranged the scarf beside her. "Bring my breakfast then."
Melanie shook her head. "Er… Ma'am… it will be an early dinner… or a late lunch…"
Dorothy's eyes swiveled to her clock and saw the time… It was nearly five in the… afternoon. She had slept the whole day away… "Fine… early dinner then…" She had slept the whole day and yet she still did not feel refreshed.
Melanie arranged the tray on top of Dorothy and her hand reached for her spoon.
"Your letters are waiting for you in the bowl ma'am." She fluffed Dorothy's pillow then poured her water.
'Letters…' Dorothy sighed. "Bring them to me and read whom they are from."
Melanie nodded and left.
Dorothy stared at her bowl… She really didn't want to eat… but her stomach was telling her otherwise… Melanie came in with the bowl full of letters and she gave a deaf ear as the senders were read one by one.
Bills… request for donations… Jess…
Her spoon dropped onto her bed as a small gasp of surprise escaped her lips when she realized… "Melanie…"
Melanie stopped reading.
Dorothy swallowed… her throat suddenly so dry. "Bring that letter to me…"
"Which one, ma'am?"
"The one…" Dorothy closed her eyes then opened them again. "The one from Jess Matthew… then take my food away and close my door."
Ever obedient, Melanie placed the envelope at the foot of her bed then took the tray and left Dorothy who stared at the letter as if it was a snake ready to bite her…
"Jess…" With one hand on his scarf, she kneeled on her bed and then reached for his letter… True enough, it was in his handwriting… Her hands had grown unsteady once again as she slowly ripped the glued lapel… The letter was plump… three sheets…! Half of her couldn't wait to read his letter while the other half dreaded what it would say…
"Dearest Dorothy,"
Dorothy closed her eyes at the pain she felt… It was the first time he had started his letter with an endearment and it was all for naught…
"I hope by this time, my assistant was able to contact you… I don't want you to worry or break my promise. Things have been hectic around here. I don't know what's been happening but I'm in the thick of things- or so they say. The moment I stepped inside the compound, I was arrested… and now here I am, writing my letter. Don't worry. My friends are giving me enough food in my cell and I don't think that Blake would keep me in here any longer- especially when I start demanding to speak to Morley… Although, if he actually does make me contact Morley, I will be in deep trouble… Why? I guess it's time to tell you the truth…"
Dorothy frowned. 'The truth…?'
"First and foremost, I want you to know that I am still aware about our situation… We are enemies… but I cannot turn away from my feelings… what I feel for you… You don't have to read this letter… It will be mushy- probably not the type of letter you'd wish to hear from an enemy… but if you do read this letter to the end, then I hope that you could imagine my silly grin."
A sad, little laugh escaped her lips that almost sounded like a sob. She could truly imagine it. It took her a couple of minutes before she could focus the letters on the paper and read once again.
"The truth is, Ms. Dorothy Catalonia… sweetheart… I love you. I don't know if you know this already, but if you didn't, then now you do. As I write this letter, I wish from the depths of my heart that you feel the same way for me- no… What I truly wish is for you to be with me right now."
This time, she dropped the letter on her lap, grabbed for his scarf, and she buried her face against its soft texture before her tears could fall. It took her a few more minutes to collect herself… to be strong enough to face his letter and read his handwriting…
"If you don't feel the same, I guess it's just my bad luck… if you do, then I will tell you right now that I'm the luckiest man alive… I almost couldn't let you go in that cabin… I didn't want to go… But I had to. And now, I'm in a fix. I am going to tell you things and in the end it will be up to you to decide… whatever you decide on, I will respect it, my love."
Now, she couldn't look away…
"My full name is Jess Daniel Callum, and yes, I have four older sisters. All those silly stories I told you about them weren't lies. Morley was the lie. He never sent me. The letter I had was a fake. I took a chance and Blake bought it hook, line, and sinker. I was on leave when I stumbled onto RJ. There wasn't any time to tell my superiors. They must have thought I had gone AWOL but I didn't. I couldn't contact them because all means of communication were traced. It was too risky… I never asked for a day off for fear that I might miss something but… I couldn't help myself when I asked for my three days… then my ten days… I had forgotten to contact my superiors but it was worth it, just being with you. Now, I would like to ask you to do something for me and it would be up to you if you want to do it or not. Please tell the Preventers about RJ and help keep the hard earned peace on this world…"
Dorothy's eyes widened in disbelief as slow realization came to mind. 'No…'
"I know that you've probably heard, if not had a run in, of them. Please tell them.
Code name: Jessie Matthew
Serial Number: A7865I10
That's all I have to say. I'm sorry about all the lies… I wish I could take them back… Well… I'm running out of space to write… Gee… this is a long letter… I think this might be the longest I have ever written. Well, one more thing before I say good-bye, my darling. I love you. And now, Till we meet again.
- With all my love, Jess Daniel Callum"
The sheets of paper fell down from her hands and onto her lap… He was a Preventer… "Jess…" Her Jess was a… a part of the group she had cursed… had planned to wipe out and now… here he was asking her to go to them… to tell them…
Her pride clashed against her feelings for Jess and in the end, the latter won, though she would not go to them anytime soon… She wasn't ready to look at them after what they've done…
"They already know… Jess…" Her whispered words were said in a gasp as a burning sensation went through her chest. So… He was in one of the prison cells when Heero had bombed the place… Then there was no chance that he had escaped…
Delicately, she picked the strewn papers on her lap then pressed them to her lips. "Till we meet again… my darling…" Once again, he had soothed her feelings, even after he was gone… Her anger… her thirst for vengeance had disappeared and her empty feeling was replaced with bittersweet memories… In her heart, she had known that what Heero did was for the best. It was needed. She just… she just couldn't accept Jess's death…
The soft ringing of the vid-com in her study made her grimace… There were only a few people who knew her personal number… And she does not want to talk to any of them.
Melanie's soft knock resounded through her room, and then her meek face appeared as the door opened slightly. "Ms. Dorothy, there's a call for you."
"I don't want to talk to anyone." Dorothy whispered while her hands caressed her mementos of Jess.
"He said it's important."
'Everyone says that…' Dorothy sighed. "Who is it?"
"His name is Mr. Blake… Brandon Blake."
Her hand went up to the base of her throat then her head jerked up to look at Melanie as if she'd seen a ghost… "Blake…?"
Melanie nodded. "That's what the man said his name was…"
Her hand raked through her hair while another straightened her blouse. She must look presentable… "Tell him to wait a few minutes." There wasn't any time to waste… If Blake was alive… there was a chance that Jess might be… a slim chance but…
She splashed cold water on her face and then rubbed her face dry, checked her reflection then rushed to the vid-com in the other side of her room. After she was sure she looked calm enough, she turned on her monitor.
Blake's haggard face appeared on the screen… haggard yet… cold… something had changed in him…
"Miss Catalonia."
"Mr. Blake. What can I do for you?" Dorothy nodded while her hand clutched at her skirt.
"I'll come down to the point, Ms. Catalonia. We need money. I have some people who are hurt-"
"What happened?" Dorothy cut him off while her hands gripped her skirt tighter. She must to bid her time…
Blake's cold eyes turned a shade icier. "Somebody was able to get inside the compound. It was only going to be a matter of days before someone else finds us after that, so I decided to take matters into my own hands and evacuated some of my men."
Dorothy frowned in confusion. "Some? Some of your men? Evacuated? What do you mean?"
"I had to leave a couple of hundred behind so that when the forensics team come in and investigate, they will think that the operation had been… terminated, then I pushed the compound's self detonating device."
A chill went up her spine… This man had decided to… to just leave people behind and to… to blown them up…! That would mean that it wasn't Heero's bombs… That Heero also… somehow…! No… it couldn't be… But, Heero was inside the compound. Mentally, she offered her condolences to Relena while a part of her wished… "Wh-what about your med teams? How are they holding up?"
"Sad to say, Ms. Catalonia, none of our med team was able to make it." A murderous look passed over Blake's eyes once again, "Neither did the trespasser."
Her last bit of hope shattered into a thousand pieces and Dorothy finally let go of her grip at the hem of her skirt. She forced herself not to look away… Tears threatened to surface in her eyes but she held them back. Her brain had started functioning once again… sharp as ever… "How much do you need?"
"Twice the amount we asked from you before."
His answer was quick and prompt… That could only mean that he had thought of this before he called her… "Where are you? I'll drop it off as soon as I collect it."
Blake smiled. He knew he could count on her… Without a second thought, he told her his coordinates. "Morley didn't know that I built this facility as a precaution. I am proud to say that I'm glad I thought of the future."
"Yes… of course." She had written down the coordinates on a piece of paper and had tucked it inside her blouse. "I'll have to work fast, Blake… Give me at least three to four days… Can you hold off till then?"
Blake nodded. "Yes, of course. I've got enough men."
"Good. Then…" Her eyes slanted in a look that one couldn't decipher whether she was smiling or glaring, "'Till we meet again." She had turned off the monitor before Blake could respond.
Dorothy pulled the scrap of paper from her blouse then stared at it… Only a while ago she had told herself that she wouldn't go near the Preventer's base anytime soon… but now…
Jess's words came back to her- help keep the hard earned peace in this world… He's dead and those were his last wishes… It would be a cold day in hell before she lets him down… Besides… the facts were clear. It was Morley who murdered him…
"Melanie!" Dorothy stood up and walked to her bed, then grabbed his scarf. She stared at it, reliving the memories that she had treasured. Her door opened and Melanie came in. "Tell Joed to bring the car around."
"Now ma'am?"
Dorothy slowly wrapped his scarf around her neck. "Yes. Now."
…
She wanted to turn away when her car stopped in front of the building, but she caught a scent of his mint cologne and his request came to mind. 'Jess…' She hadn't done anything for him. She never cooked for him… never fed him… never really had been nice to him and yet he loved her… and she loved him. 'Just for you…'
Dorothy closed off the people around her as she purposely walked to the farthest elevator. She would just go in there and then leave. The door swished open and she walked on the same path she had gone to just yesterday… I.D. pressed onto the pad, the door opened. The furor from yesterday had died down… Half of the people inside the room were not there but the two Gundam pilots were… the girl who was comforting Quatre and that irritating green eyed girl… no- make that three Gundam pilots and add Hilde on the list… With the way Hilde and Duo were staring at her, it was obvious that those two just came in… Then again… everyone was staring at her.
'Let them stare.' She walked straight to Wufei who stood near Mariemaia and then slapped the piece of paper on the counter.
Wufei looked down at the paper, obviously confused as to what it was.
"It isn't over." Dorothy announced in her low voice. Frowning faces locked on her and she pointed to the paper once again. "Blake's alive. He contacted me just minutes ago."
Wufei looked from Dorothy to the paper. "Dorothy, this isn't a trick you're playing, is it?"
"I'm telling you the truth." She breathed in deeply and tried to gather her patience once again. "Tell me… how many bodies have been recovered from the explosion yesterday?"
Wufei looked at Mariemaia who glanced at a paper. "Nearly two hundred, Ms. Catalonia… but the exact count is still to be determined."
"You won't get more than a fourth of Blake's men… He planted those people there so you would think that it was over… but it isn't."
"Dorothy, what do you mean 'he planted'?" Quatre piped from behind Yvan.
"I mean planted…" Dorothy lowered her face as she announced the sad news. "Heero isn't here is he?"
Nobody answered her question, but that only proved her point.
"He won't be coming back… Blake killed Heero… it was the compound's self destruct devices that went off, not Heero's."
Silence encompassed the room… A deathly chill… Quatre grabbed hold of Yvan's hand just as Duo and Hilde reached for each other. That could only mean that Heero…
"You're lying!" Mariemaia's eyes glistened with tears as she spat out her accusation.
She tried not to feel their pain but it was hard… Was it not just yesterday that she had lost him? "Wufei… listen to me and check these coordinates… Blake is waiting in another compound… I only bought you a few days…"
"Why should we believe you?" Wufei snarled as he glared at Dorothy. "How could you expect me to believe you when you want to kill us?"
Dorothy's eyes widened slightly while everyone else almost held their breath.
"I saw what you wanted to do yesterday, Dorothy. I saw it." Wufei gave a cursory glance at the piece of paper then snorted. He saw what she wanted to do through her eyes… "It would be so easy for you to look up a strip of land in India, then tell us that there's another compound, and finally…" Wufei looked back at her. "While our team is out there, an ambush. Our men in the field will die with bullets while our bases will be blown up right in front of our eyes."
She couldn't speak. He was too near the truth… She had thought of doing that but…
Quatre shook his throbbing head. "Wufei… stop this, please. Dorothy is not a killer."
"It takes one to know one, Quatre." Wufei answered sinisterly. "She can't even defend herself. Do you want to know why? Because she knows I'm telling the truth."
"Wufei! Will you just shut up!" Duo roared as he moved forward. He wasn't there yesterday, but he sure had had enough of Wufei beating the hell out of everyone!
Hilde grimaced as Duo and Wufei glared at each other and she mentally prayed that her husband wouldn't do anything stupid.
"What the hell is your problem?! Why don't you just check the coordinates?! There ain't any harm doing that!" He glanced at Dorothy, still shocked in place, eyes wide with slightly parted lips, but the one thing that truly caught his attention was the expression on Dorothy's face- that haggard, tired emotion and eyes that obviously cried throughout last night. "Look at her!" Duo pointed at Dorothy. "Just look at her and tell me that you don't really believe her!"
Quatre did as Duo asked. He truly did looked at Dorothy, and now he saw what he didn't see when she came in… Pain… heart wrenching pain. Her eyes had clouded as if about to cry and he was torn between comforting her and stopping a brawl.
"She's a great actress, Duo."
Dorothy's eyes widened a bit more as Duo's fist connected with Wufei's cheek. She never expected Duo to defend her! She had never expected anyone to defend her… until Jess. Quatre tried to stop them, but somehow, he got caught inside the brawl and now, he was fighting the two while he shouted for them to stop. Her head started to throb and she began to feel dizzy. 'Stop it… Stop it! Stop fighting!' She was screaming but nothing was coming out of her mouth. Suddenly, she felt people beside her and she opened her eyes to find Hilde on her right side and Quatre's friend on the other.
"Are you all right?" Yvan asked, concerned for the pale woman.
Dorothy nodded even as she clenched her jaw. "Can't anybody stop them?" She tried to focus and finally stepped away from the two women, still not wanting to feel indebted to them while her hand instinctively went up to her forehead. Hilde and Yvan didn't go near her again, and she thanked them for that.
"They're men."
The frustrated sigh left the green-eyed blonde Dorothy had wanted to punch yesterday. She heard Hilde's soft chuckle.
"That's how they settle things, I guess…" Remembering that day when she saw Duo and Heero's bleeding nose after they came back to Relena's house, and she found that the two unhappy couple that had a misunderstanding. "That fight had been spewing off since yesterday."
"And it's time to end it. It's a waste of time." The woman in the Intelligence Alliance uniform muttered as she pulled out a gun and then… fired it just mere inches away from the tangled arms and legs.
The three stopped. Wufei had Duo's braid in a grip. Duo held Wufei's collar, fist about ready to punch. And Quatre, in between, had his hands in a stilled action of pushing both men off from each other.
Dorothy would have laughed, if she didn't feel so empty. She decided that she liked this IA officer.
Wufei looked at the people around him then, finally, to the blonde woman with green eyes as she nodded with satisfaction and turned her attention on Mariemaia… "Check these coordinates. I want to see if it's a clear land, Mariemaia."
"The hell you will!" Wufei cried as he pushed himself away from the floor, only to invite the gun to position between his legs- right on his... Wufei stopped and glared at the woman defiantly. "You wouldn't dare…"
"I hope you remember what happened the last time you said that, Chang."
Mariemaia and the other women held back a nervous snicker while Wufei held his ground. Even Duo and Quatre could only give a look of disbelief!
"I gave an order." Ping's commanding voice boomed out with a warning.
"Yes ma'am." Paper in hand, Mariemaia turned back to her control panel and started her search. The screen in front blinked to life, and the Preventer's satellite did its work as the Earth Sphere was shown first, then a clearer view of Asia, of India, and finally, of the strip of land. "The coordinates, ma'am."
Everyone looked at the screen. It was obvious. A compound could easily have been easily set up on it… Wufei remembered a few chopped down trees around the area, well concealed, making one thing that it was some illegal loggers' work… now… "Dammit."
The moment Wufei had muttered that word, Dorothy knew he finally believed her. She wanted to gloat at him, wanted to push his face against the screen, but she didn't feel up to it at the moment. Somehow, she understood why he reacted that way. Right now, though… what she really wanted to do was to tell Relena the sad news…
She let the stream of commands from Wufei and that woman pass her by like the wind as she turned around and headed for the door. She would go with Wufei and kill Blake herself. He doesn't know it yet, but she will.
"Dorothy…?"
Quatre's voice penetrated through her throbbing head and she stopped. She could feel Duo's, Hilde's and that red haired girl's eyes on her back, too. Why were they looking at her? "What is it?"
"Where are you going?"
His voice came from just beside her but she didn't turn to look at him. She focused on the shut door. "I'm going to see Relena."
"Why?" Mariemaia was suddenly in front of her, blocking her way. Defiant blue eyes met her tired ones.
"Mariemaia…" Quatre's warning tone didn't do anything as Mariemaia blocked Dorothy's view of the door.
"Why, Dorothy? So you could hurt her? You hate her so much, don't you? Don't you?!" Mariemaia whispered as she glared at Dorothy.
"You don't know what you are talking about." Dorothy whispered through parched throat. Does she have a fever? Why was she sweating like this? Why does she feel as if she's about to keel over?
"Don't I? I've studied all of you since I was able to read. I know every one of you… Every action you made was calculated to hurt Ms. Relena. Well… I'm not going to let you."
"Mariemaia! Please..."
Quatre's voice was lost as Dorothy met Mariemaia's challenging eyes openly. She's too tired to keep her wall around. "You are too naïve, Mariemaia… I never hated Relena… I envied her." She saw confusion shade the teen's eyes, and she continued. Let it be laid to rest, then. Let everyone know, then. "She had people who loved her for who she was. Who adored her. She had a family who loved her. She had everything a little girl wished for… She retained her innocence even after everything. That is something to be envious about." She looked away as she thought of Jess. Relena's feelings for Heero was something she laughed at in the outside, and another thing she envied in the inside… now, though… "Now, I don't envy her, Mariemaia…" They both lost someone… how could she continue to envy her?
"You're going to hurt her…" Mariemaia's voice now sounded small but still strong.
How does it feel to have so many people trying to protect someone? "Would you rather she cry her heart out after she's well? What kind of a friend would want that?" She walked forward and met no hindrance. She reached the door-
"She's in Room 450… Ms. Catalonia…"
Mariemaia's soft voice whispered to her as the door opened. She nodded her thanks and then the whole chaotic room finally closed behind her…
…
"HOLD IT! STOP! I SAID STOP!!!"
A hail of bullets came from behind but they didn't listen. They couldn't. Their burden was heavy, and drops of blood fell onto the paved ground, only to instantly disappear by the thirsty soil.
"STOP FIRING YOU FOOL! YOU'RE GOING TO HIT THE PROTOTYPE!"
"That's right… stop firing…" Panting, they reached the wonderful machine. That machine for escape- "Get inside!" With only a cursory glance to check up on the other figure, the lithe body turned. Eyes aimed while arm locked the only weapon they have against rib, and then the trigger was pulled.
They were on the assault now. No weapons could be fired their way, but they could. From the corner of the full 180 degrees of sight, movements of pulling their burdens inside were noted.
"I'm in! Come on!"
Hands grabbed the load upon shoulders, then in another instant, the gun. They both have an understanding. They will make this plan work, no matter how insane it was. Ears picked up that deafening sound of continuous laughter of machine gun while nimble hands tried to work on controls.
"I think I'm running out of bullets!"
"Just give me a couple more minutes!" Where? How? This was an insane plan… The helicopter was beyond scope of mind-
The rotor blasted to life just as the chopped roar of machine guns died. "Close the door!" Ears picked up that clamped noise before hands did any more. The machine responded quickly—it was a wonderful machine…
Their plan will work…
From behind, a surprised gasp came. "We made it…?"
No… "Not yet…" They're not out of danger just yet… Fingers flicked radio controls on to eavesdrop for pursue, while a sharp mind tried to get acquainted with the controls.
"You're bleeding."
Bleeding… Bleeding like there's no tomorrow… but- "I'm okay." Need to be. Must be. There was no other way…
"You're not—!"
"I'm okay! Just drop it." Death? No way… Survived this long…
"I never noticed-"
"I said drop it!" Silence… A sigh. "Don't worry… Trust me. I'm fine." Liar. Bones and muscles ached. Head was pounding, could barely concentrate… No… Must!
"Is there enough fuel to get there?"
The answer was a nod though inside, it was only hope. They will have to land in the rural city beside… It'll be a long drive… Before that, they will have to steal gas for the prototype, too, and some extra ones to make a bonfire out of this baby.
"How will we get a car?"
"The same way we got this… We'll steal it. Get the owner as a hostage if we need to."
Silence met ears and there were no more words to say… No more…
…
Guns still smoked in his soldiers' hands while smoldering ashes of dilapidated, just attacked barracks in the military base left a nervous Major weak as he waited for an important person to show up on screen. The General will have his hide… He will be stripped of his rank… How the hell did those people get inside the camp?!
"General McGregor." He snapped in attention as the man with a sprinkle of gray hair against brown and clear, intelligent green eyes met his.
"What's the emergency?" The look on Major Fuller's face was that of sweaty nervousness. Was it that bad?
How should he phrase it? How- "The FX 08 was stolen, sir."
McGregor's eyes slanted in fury. Fury was the only thing he could feel right now. Incompetent- "Was it loaded?" He must know… if the FX 08 was equipped with guns, they were all going to be… Dammit! Why did the Intelligence ever wanted to build this stealth helicopter-
"No sir. It wasn't loaded."
Relief passed as quickly as surprise. It wouldn't take long for those people to get their hands on the needed weaponry… He must contact Une. Damn! He wanted to contact her for a different reason, but now, that will have to wait. "Destroy the files on FX 08." They will never be able to track it down… Where would it head?
"Sir?!"
Nearly four years of research and development, down the drain… But he already warned the IA's a long time ago. "I said destroy it, Major." With a quick salute, a signal to end the conversation, he gave a glare. "Fix up the base. I'm going to hunt it down." There was no way to know where it is, but he should, at least, try.
"Yes sir."
The Major's face disappeared and McGregor's face fell in worry. Could the ones who stole the FX be with the RJ's? He hoped that Wufei would be ready, if worse comes to worse.
…
She knocked before she entered and found a pale Relena, staring outside her window, as if a million miles away… The room was different from any hospital area she had ever encountered. This one had that homey look…
"Ms. Relena…?"
Slowly, Relena turned to the voice and found Dorothy, walking towards her. She smiled faintly though it never reached her eyes. "Dorothy… I can't believe you're here… How have you been?"
Dorothy smiled hollowly at her question. She was the one who was supposed to ask that. "I've been better."
"You look tired… Sit down." Relena motioned to the comfortable chair beside her bed.
"You're the one to talk." Dorothy answered as she eyed Relena with a brow raised while she sat down on the offered chair.
"It's a part of the hospital look… Tired… sleepy…" Her eyes took on that lost look as she glanced back at the window. "… drugged… lonely… pining… take your pick."
Dorothy felt a chill up her spine. It was almost as if Relena… knew…! No… It couldn't be. "Relena… I have some bad news…"
Relena's hand involuntarily went up to her chest. From Dorothy's voice… "It's Heero, isn't it?"
Dorothy nodded, even though Relena wasn't looking at her. "Heero's…" Her eyes burned once again. How she hated that word. Tears formed at the tip of her eyes. "… dead…"
The last word was said in such a low tone that it was almost inaudible, but Relena heard it loud and clear. She didn't understand the emotion that encompassed her. She couldn't put it in words except that… it hurts so much… yet at the same time, it didn't… It was as if she expected the news ever since she thought she heard Heero's voice whisper those three words in her dream. No tears came to her eyes. She had cried too much in her life for so many things, and yet this one… the one that was causing her the most painful agony… No tears came… Instead, her hand just went over her fluttering stomach.
"I… I'm sorry… Relena…" She couldn't understand why Relena wouldn't cry. Why?! Here she was with unrelenting tears, and the person she thought would cry more was not doing as she had expected…!
Her choked voice made Relena look at her and found… Dorothy's head, bent down… her straight blonde hair, a curtain for her face… her shoulders were rocking with… sobs…? Her hands were clutching at her skirt with tight fists… and tears… were dropping upon her hands and skirt… Her response shocked Relena. Could it be that…? "Dorothy…? Was Heero…?" She couldn't even finish her sentence!
Dorothy jerked her head up at the implied sentence, and for that single moment, forgot her troubles. "No!" Then her face softened and the tears came again. "No… not Heero…" She looked away. Why couldn't these tears stay put the way she was able to a long time ago?!
"But someone you loved, all the same…" Relena whispered as she reached out her hand and placed it on Dorothy's slightly shaking shoulders. "I understand."
"I know you do…" Dorothy sighed. "It's just…" Just what? Just that she couldn't seem to accept it? Why did it have to be him? He was innocent. He was only trying to help!
"They're still alive, you know…"
Relena's words made her frown and Dorothy turned to stare at the woman as if delirious.
A soft smile appeared on Relena's lips as her other hand went to her chest. "They're still alive in our hearts… Our memories." She let out a sigh as she looked out that window. "I will always cherish them… I know that you will…"
Dorothy shook her head… How could she say that so calmly?! This was what she meant by her innocence! Her unselfish love, while she… she couldn't seem to let go…
"And you will know him, too, my dearest…"
Relena's hands curled over her stomach while Dorothy felt adrift in an endless sea of confusion once again. What had Relena meant? She could only stare at the woman she half admired and half hated. Relena seemed to be in a world of her own… had she gone mad?!
"He's come home, darling… you're daddy's finally free…"
Dorothy's eyes slanted to focus on Relena's hand… the one so protectively curled over her stomach. Realization coursed through her… Relena's… "You're pregnant…!"
A serene smile with a slight droop at the corner hinted upon Relena's lips as she nodded. "Sally just told me when she…" A sad chuckle left her lips as she remembered that eerie feeling that coursed through her… the way she thought she heard Heero's voice call her… and then, somehow, she seemed to see a glowing Sally over her. The next time she opened her eyes, Sally had looked at her with relief then started screaming at her in anger… asking her why she did such a stupid thing and that if she wouldn't take care for her sake, then to do it for the baby…
The baby. "When she got mad at me," Relena finished. The baby… A month and a half… Hers and Heero's. Their child. Heero's parting gift.
"Heero's…?" Dorothy couldn't believe… How could she ask if it was Heero's?! She knew all too well that Relena would never give herself to anyone else… Oh God! She was happy for her, sad for her, and envious of her… Hands curled over her knees to clutch at a handful portion of her dress, and her face fell to focus on them… then she felt a hand on her shoulder and she saw Relena's small smile.
"Dorothy… please be happy for me. I… I never really had him… This is the only part I have of him… It's ours and it's the only thing that's keeping me sane right now."
So many things in such a short time… So many things! How could she still breathe? God! Her surroundings were spinning! Dorothy forced herself to concentrate on Relena while she tried to fight that feeling of vertigo.
"You know what's funny, though…?" Relena's voice was feathery soft while she gazed at the snow that began to fall…
Dorothy turned to the window, her lips dry and throat suddenly parched. "What?" Her question almost came out in a gasp as she tried to keep her breathing even.
"Call me crazy… but…" Relena pulled her hand back to her side. "I don't feel as if he's dead… I feel as though he's still out there… fighting… waiting to come home… to come back to me…"
For the first time, someone voiced out how she felt… Someone had voiced out her insane thoughts. "Relena… I know exactly what you mean…"
Then Dorothy pitched forward onto the floor, and in her mind into darkness… Dimly, she heard a woman gasp her name, but for now, she welcomed that relief into the darkness… Her escape…
Somewhere inside the room, the clock ticked its continuous rhythm while the two women, one conscious, the other unconscious, ached and wondered when they would come home… into their love's embrace…
~*~
{Author's Note: Hello everyone! I'm sorry that you guys had to wait a long time for this story to be over *embarrassed smile* But, I hope that this chapter was interesting enough for you! Thank you so much for the reviews, everyone. Guess what! I've just graduated! Hopefully, I will finish this story soon. All of you who have continuously read my stories- THANK YOU SO MUCH! So, here is the preview for the next story, and hopefully I will get the kinks out very soon. With tons of my happiness to you all,
~ Heartfire }
Preview: Wisdom's Harmony
She awoke to the startling sound of thunder, rolling into the night as though sweeping away boulders from their area. God! Her heart was pounding so loudly against her ribcage… and she was drenched in sweat!
Outside, she could hear the harsh pelting sounds of raindrops as they dropped from their cloudy throne, onto their destruction. Oh God. She had that nightmare again… She quickly looked to her side and smiled in relief that her tired husband hadn't woken up. If he had, he would be half dead tomorrow.
That strange feeling, as though something was calling her to look outside, made her turn. Gingerly, she walked, barefoot, to the nearest window, and then she saw a still shadow she could barely distinguish. But it was there. That tall build… getting wet!
She quickly ran out of her bedroom, through the living room, and out of the house just in time to see him turn around as though reaching the decision not to bother the household. "Trowa!"
Cathy didn't care about getting her clothes wet as she ran to the person who had caught her heart the way her little brother had done, so long ago. If only he was… Triton. "Trowa!!!"
Keith woke up at his wife's shout. Trowa… so, he has come… Finally.