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Tapestry - Chapter 7
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"Face it, Maxwell. He's a traitor, pure and simple."
Sighting along the barrel of his newly acquired pistol, Heero Yuy glanced over at a scowling Duo and narrowed his eyes slightly, annoyed that he needed to explain something so obvious yet again. "Point one: he's never going to leave Khushrenada. He's already said as much. Refusing to come with us when we escaped was a pretty big clue. Even you should have understood that."
"You don't know anything, Heero," snapped Duo, glowering at the assassin with all the force he could muster. "You have no idea why he's doing what he's doing. For all you know, he could be trying to kill Khushrenada right now."
Both gundam pilots were in an abandoned steel warehouse on the outskirts of Luxembourg-Villa, along with Howard, an enormous collection of gundonium, miscellaneous spare parts, and mountains and mountains of abandoned machinery. The massive amounts of structural steel and gundonium were slowly taking the shape of a mobile suit; Duo was sitting cross-legged next to one pile, rapidly firing bolts through several metal flanges with a pneumatic drill, scowling and squinting at Heero through the gloom. Wisely, Howard stayed away from them, opting instead to program several of the other automatic welding machines at the opposite end of the warehouse floor.
Heero stared back, completely unaffected by Duo's death glare. "Right. Point two: he's never going to be of any use to us. He sold himself so he could stay alive. He's given us no information since our escape, and you know that as well as I do.." Snorting softly, Heero shook his head in dismissal and used his pistol to gesture behind Duo. "Just forget about him and concentrate on something that could actually use your talents - like that collection of junk back there."
"You don't know anything, Heero," Duo snapped again, now completely out of sorts at having both his friend and his gundam maligned and belittled by Yuy. Uncrossing his legs, Duo stood up and stalked angrily over to the other youth, his full attention on Heero, one hand curled into a fist while the other clutched the butt of drill, a vaguely threatening set to his chin. "How many times do we have to go over this until it sinks into that thick skull of yours? Did you think it was your own incredible talent that allowed you to escape so easily from Khushrenada's base, hmm? Wufei had nothing to do with it, did he? He never bargained for your freedom at all - never traded anything to Khushrenada for you - "
"I never asked him to do anything for me," Heero retorted mildly, eyeing Duo as he closed the distance between them. "That was a decision he made completely on his own."
"Which could only benefit you," Duo immediately hissed, stabbing his finger at Heero, missing his chest by millimeters as he thrust his face forward, his eyes bright and angry. "And don't pretend that it didn't, either, bud, because it did."
"Stop this nonsense - she is awake."
Thoroughly surprised, both pilots frowned and turned as one to see Trowa striding through the double doors of the warehouse. Nodding to Harold, Trowa took in the situation between them in one long glance. Raising one sardonic eyebrow, Trowa walked across to Duo, gently grasped his wrist and dislodged his fingers from the trigger of the drill, asking "...and what, exactly, were you going to do with this?"
"Nothing," Duo muttered as he pulled his wrist away and cradled the power tool in his arms, glaring impotently at Heero. "Didn't you just say something..?"
Amused, Trowa nodded. "Yes. Sally Po is awake again - but this time, she is fully awake and moving about on her own."
Duo gave the other pilot a strange look. "Whoa, guy, slow down. You know Sally? Is she all right? And what do you mean, again?"
Unruffled, Trowa looked at Duo. "Of course I know Sally Po. She awoke first about a week ago, but her body was not up to the strain. Now, however, she is stronger. She is fully alert and moving about on her own."
"What're you doing, Tro, keeping tabs on her?" Duo scowled, remembering when he was imprisoned at the former Romefeller estate. "It's hard enough getting there without being seen. You must have some good cover." He gave Trowa an expressionless look. "Did you see Wufei?"
Trowa nodded. "I did. He appears unharmed and healthy."
A derisive snort came from Heero's direction. Ignoring him, Duo went on. "Wu told me - when I was there - that he wanted to get her out of there as soon as she could travel. Is she well enough?"
Trowa turned to look at the partially constructed gundam behind Duo. "She's well enough, but we won't have the opportunity to pull her out. My information says that we must make contact with her tomorrow if we are to make contact at all."
"Tomorrow? Are you sure? That's - damn, Trowa, that's awfully quick -"
"I'm up to the challenge," Yuy said, matter-of-fact, concentrating on the computer in front of him.
"Get stuffed, Yuy," Duo said absently, watching Trowa. "So it's only stage one contact right now, right, Trow? We can't pull her out?"
The dark haired youth nodded, his visible eye sparkling. "That's all, Maxwell. That's all we can afford to do right now."
"All right." Duo bent and scooped up an old, battered backpack from the floor and unzipped the front pocket. He dipped his hand inside, frowned as he fumbled around for a moment, then beamed as he apparently found what he wanted.
"Here," he said, dropping something into Trowa's hand. "It's the smallest I could - erm - find. I programmed it, so it's all ready to go."
"Fine. We'll get one chance to deliver and one chance to test it tomorrow."
"It'll work," Duo said, smirking, his head bobbing in assurance.
"Probably," came the enigmatic reply.
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I was staring at Khushrenada. I knew I was staring at him, but really, I couldn't help myself. In fact, the more I thought about what he just said - the bombshell he dropped on my well ordered, you're-with-the-bad-guys-and-I'm-with-the-good-guys world - the more acutely horrified I started to feel.
Wufei was of the Dragon Clan; but that wasn't what was making my head spin. Wufei had been on A0206 at the same time Septem ordered me to "disinfect" it. Had been there with his wife - gods, the boy was married? - when my people attacked it, hitting the colony with all the firepower possible, the sole intent to wipe out all life - "disinfect" it - that is, until I ordered them back. And it may have been my people, inadvertently, who almost killed Wufei, and who certainly killed members of his clan. As I thought about that, I felt as if something dull and heavy was twisting around in my gut, slowly slicing a path through my stomach to the base of my spine. Somehow, I had failed him; a part of me felt as though I should have protected him from that assault. I pulled back, but not in time ... I should have been there for him ...
"...and the life of his teacher - one of the five men who were responsible for this hoax of a war. The man who, apparently, raised him...."
Gods, how could I have been so careless, so unthinking, so ... Shaking my head, I looked at Treize and realized that not only was he staring at me, but that he had said something else to me - and again I had missed it, lost in my own thoughts. Damn. Trying to recover, I cast around in my mind for the last thing I remembered hearing him say. "What - who - his teacher?" I repeated, blinking. "He is still alive?"
Treize appeared thoughtful, regarding me from under lowered lashes, elbows resting comfortably on the arms of his chair with his fingers steepled together. He took a moment before answering, looking at me long enough that I wondered whether or not he was going to respond.
"I'm not sure if I can answer that without revealing too much that still is confidential, Ms. Po," he finally said, watching me with a small smile that did not quite reach his eyes. His blue gaze, penetrating and cool, lanced through me to the bottom of my toes.
As if he knew what I had been thinking ... but that's ridiculous ...
"However - I will say that all of this does lead up to one important aspect, something definitely worth your understanding. The Dragon Clan has a high sense of honor. They feel very ... protective ... of the one whom they believe to be the best example of themselves. It is in their nature to feel protective toward this person."
"Wufei," I whispered under my breath.
Nodding, Treize continued, leaning back in his chair. "Exactly. His clan believes they are descended from the dragon god Seiyruu, you know. And, as they believe Wufei to be the best they have ever produced - and yes, Ms. Po, that does mean the best in their entire history - they consider their own existence as nothing, except inasmuch as it strengthens him." Smiling a bit, he finished gently, "Unlike Heero Yuy, Wufei is far from the perfect soldier. He feels too much."
My mind drifted back to the boy I knew in the mountains of China; self doubting, questioning - and, bewildered, I realized that what Treize said was no more or less than the truth. "Well - in any case, it seems we're back to my original question. Why are Wufei and I here?"
"Ah, well, Ms. Po," he murmured, watching me, "you needed to know the background, you see. The colonies did not want their pilots back. Period. They would have executed them, as would our justice system here on earth. So - since, in spite of their youth, they ARE adults, I took them aside and discussed the matter with each of them - just to keep them abreast of the situation." Tilting his head slightly and shifting his weight in his chair, Khushrenada's expression seemed to intensify slightly. "You were still in the hospital during this time, although I was told you showed signs of wakefulness. I had not seen you at that point. Once I saw you, of course, there was no question that you belonged here as well."
"I ... oh," I managed. Several things were bothering me at that moment, not the least of which was my feeling that the gundam pilots were certainly not adults in the sense that Khushrenada was. The man had a preternatural presence about him; the power in his gaze, coupled with the burning intelligence I knew was behind his eyes, made me feel as though I was miles out of my league. I felt as if I needed to weigh every word I said, watch every step I took.
Because if I didn't, an error made now could be ... costly.
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Time passed.
And we had been talking ... and talking ... and talking. Never in my entire career had I ever met anyone like Khushrenada. One's enemy was supposed to interrogate you, true - but never in my experience had any opponent actually had a civilized conversation with a captured enemy soldier and patiently explained not only the situation at hand, but his thinking and why he took certain actions during the conflict.
I had the uneasy feeling that if I asked him, he would have told me without hesitation exactly how to escape the mansion without being detected. Too bizarre for words, I thought, staring at him, disregarding for the moment the thread of their conversation. This conversation is just ... surreal.
One forked eyebrow was raised in polite remonstrance. "Ms. Po," he said gently, almost chiding, "please do not judge unless you HAVE been in this kind of situation - when it seems that there IS no right turn. And yet ... one cannot simply sit and do nothing. Action is demanded, at least in some form."
"I try not to, General," I murmured into my teacup, lowering my gaze. "It is difficult to know exactly what to do without knowing all the facts of the situation." It occurred to me, as I studied the delicate rose pattern around the lip of my cup, that his words could be taken several different ways - and that taken one way, he was giving me a veiled warning. Pay attention, Ms. Po.
His posture was relaxed, open, and completely at ease, as if he had nothing to hide. "As I said - the other gundam pilots were either released or escaped - save Wufei, of course. Heero Yuy supposedly self-destructed almost two months ago, as you recall. Only gundam 03 and its pilot have not been found.."
"Do you believe him dead?"
Treize considered the question, appearing to mull it over seriously. "I don't honestly know," he finally replied, looking back at me.
"I see," I murmured, nodding. It was all I could do to not cheer; if they had not found the pilot at this point, then the probability was excellent that they never would. And, considering that he was a gundam pilot, I seriously doubted he was dead. His gundam afforded him some protection against OZ -and the gundam creators only chose clever, intelligent people to pilot their machines. That boy was hiding somewhere, and was hiding himself well.
"You mentioned something about a bargain a while ago - and my part in it ...?"
His gaze slid over and around me, as if he was seeing me for the first time. Smiling softly, he leaned over and gently claimed my teacup from my grasp, his fingers lightly moving near the back of my hand. "I made a decision, at this point in the story, that Lady Une called quite foolish." He poured tea and sweetened it, not needing to ask my preference, and handed my cup back, smiling. Automatically, I leaned forward, smiled politely and accepted the cup from him, then sank back against the cushions, watching him, alert.
"Wufei, at this point, had truly earned my ... sympathy," Treize said, hesitating slightly as if he was not sure what word to use. "The young man is brilliant - well educated, considering his isolation; physically incomparable to any other young man his age. And," he continued, shaking his head, looking sad, "he had nowhere to go. Nothing to do. No direction. This war was a waste for him - a personal vendetta. I offered to have him stay here, at least until he found somewhere else he'd rather be."
"And he accepted?"
"He did," Treize remarked casually, "with an agreement. He wished Duo Maxwell released, as well as you and all your people." Khushrenada sighed, looking at me with a wry expression. "I could not release any of you legally - but Duo's abilities came in handy. I agreed with him, in any case. You are not criminals, and should not be treated as such."
I was staring at him again from the relative safety of my cocoon, huddled against the cold and unfamiliar feeling of being completely out of control. "You ... released ..?" I started to ask, my voice weak and slightly shaky. Taking a deep breath, I pushed my trepidation behind me and asked, making my voice stronger, "and - how did Duo assist you?"
Chuckling, Treize shifted his shoulders and settled his back against the chair. "Not as much as I'd hoped. Mr. Maxwell initially refused to leave - but he did help those whom I trusted break your men out."
"So they are free," I murmured, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Oh, yes, Ms. Po, absolutely. You are not, though, for various reasons - several very practical ones being that you were under heavy guard and could not walk under your own power - nor, I suspect, carry a gun." Amused, Treize looked at me. "I brought you here so you would be safer, and not alone. And then, two days later, Mr. Maxwell escaped."
"I'm not surprised," I retorted mildly. Looking past the darkened windows to the grounds outside, I nodded and frowned, "...but ... I don't understand. You told me that this place was not close to any real city-"
The general leaned toward I and looked me straight in the eyes. "I am convinced he escaped with outside help, Ms. Po," said, he said, his blue gaze unwavering. "Because otherwise, he would not have left without Wufei. Of course, Wufei refused to leave. He gave his word."
"Of course - his honor," I realized.
Nodding in assent, Treize looked at me with half lidded eyes, hiding a small smile in his teacup. "I do so appreciate an honorable man. There are so few in this world."
A sinking feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. "So. Wufei gave his word to you that he will not escape?"
"He did," Treize acknowledged. "It would not be safe for him to be anywhere else. First, he has nowhere to go - second, any who recognized him would attempt to either capture or kill him on sight. He is very unique physically - he cannot simply blend into a crowd."
"But didn't you say this was just temporary for him?"
"Oh, certainly - but he has learned to trust my judgment." Putting his cup on the low end table next to his chair, Treize moved a little closer to me. "I do not mean him harm, Ms. Po. I wish him to be the best that he can - to reach his potential. To that end, I have set up training and education for him while he is here." A small, appreciative smile crossed his face. "None of his skills will be wasted, and it gives him something to do. It's easier not to think, then. He still blames himself for the death of his wife."
...his wife died? gods... my men killed her .... "Ah ... I ... see," I said, coughing.
The general raised his eyebrows as I choked, but said nothing." And I let him duel with me on a daily basis," he continued smoothly, watching me. "Hand to hand, knives, whatever he likes. The thought of my death interests him so much that when I offered him the opportunity, he decided to stay. He will stay here as long as I feel it is necessary." A wry look briefly crossed his face. "Or until he kills me. So far, he has not won our duels - but he is getting closer. If he wins, Ms. Po... he will have nothing at all to keep him alive - and that would be utterly tragic. You are here, really, because he requested it - and because I wish him to have SOME other purpose to his life other than visualizing my death, ne?"
Horror moved slowly through my veins, causing my breath to quicken as I looked at him. "He - he duels with you? On a daily basis?" Without warning, that protective instinct toward Wufei asserted itself again, stiffening my spine as I glared at him. "Where on earth did he get the idea that he needed to assassinate you?"
Not that it's a bad idea, per se, but really ...
"When Septem's men attacked, one of them shouted my name as Wufei killed him - really, it's that simple. Wufei believes that I killed his wife, indirectly, in that raid in which you were a part. Even knowing the circumstances of his wife's death has not dissuaded him."
Blue eyes gleamed with amusement and something deeper as I inhaled sharply, reminded again of how I was involved in Wufei's wife's death.
"He used to be a scholar, Ms. Po - not a warrior. I am trying to reignite that passion. Perhaps then he can find a goal in life, other than killing me." Moving his head to one side, the general watched me with what I could only describe as a keen, steady gaze. "Wufei requested that you be brought here, which ... surprised me. Once it was clear you would be well enough to do so, you were. You have been here for several weeks - and you are now caught up with the story, inasmuch as it goes."
I looked at the fire, then back at him. "Yes - I am well and truly 'caught up' now."
"Questions?"
I sighed. "No. None at the moment, at any rate."
He nodded. "Please don't make me regret bringing you here, Ms. Po. I did so because Wufei wished it, and, except for that request, has expressed no desire other than my death in weeks. You are here as my guest, even though legally you are my prisoner. I would rather not keep you confined."
"I will remember that, General," I replied politely. And you could be sure that I would, too.
He gave me a small smile. "That expression MUST have a statement behind it. You may tell me what you think, you know. I am certainly aware of your feelings. You won't shock me."
"You mean I can trust you?" I snorted softly to myself. Now there's a novel idea.
"You may always trust my word, Ms. Po. I do not lie, nor do I break my word. You may ask Wufei." Khushrenada leaned forward and looked into my eyes. "I have done nothing to him that was not without his express consent."
I stared at him from the safety of my blanket, thinking about the mounds of colorful clothes in Wufei's drawers; the familiar hand on Wufei's shoulder before dinner; the way Khushrenada had watched him when he was exercising, with that slightly predatory expression; and the way Wufei looked and acted when I was alone with him, as if there was something he just didn't want to talk about.
....gods....
That feeling I had toward Wufei - the one where I wanted to defend him against whatever I felt was threatening him - was now a tight ball in my chest, perilously large, ready to explode outward; and along with it was an insistent, compelling urge to get him as far away from Khushrenada as possible. This man was dangerous to Wufei in ways I didn't even want to consider.
But he won't go, whispered that annoyingly accurate voice of mine, you know that. He promised Khushrenada - and his word IS his bond. Unless the general releases him, he will not leave, no matter what.
I ground my teeth in frustration. Well, I can still try to persuade him, can't I? In the meantime, I can also work against Khushrenada - subtlety, of course. I may not be free, but I'm certainly not dead. And 'subtlety' was a key word for me. I knew that anything I did or said needed to be handled ... delicately. Not with my usual flair.
"Age and experience play into many things, General. And there is such a thing as 'informed consent,' you know," I said, careful that my voice was a neutral, colorless tone. No reason to offend him immediately - I was reasonably sure I was going to offend him plenty of other times.
"I do not practice 'informed consent,' Ms. Po. It seems .... deceitful to me," he responded, glancing at me. I could have sworn there was a slight, amused twinkle in his eyes.
"Ah, well - I would hate to believe that Wufei was ... taken advantage of because he was ... inexperienced," I murmured, still keeping my tone colorlessly disinterested, looking up at him from under lowered lashes.
"That would be ... terrible," Treize agreed. "Fortunately, he is under my protection."
I closed my eyes briefly - oh, yes, having the sheep under the wolf's protection is ALWAYS such a good idea - then looked into my teacup. "Oh .. yes. That is true."
Treize paused for a moment. His voice suddenly took on the strength and timbre of a teacher's voice as he reproached me. "Don't assume, Sally. It's not becoming."
I was shocked; turning to look at him, I felt the blood drain from my cheeks and a cold fist twist in my stomach. Somehow, this man had divined what I had been thinking and had answered it. Again.
Holding my gaze, he asked pleasantly, "Would you like some more tea?"
He was completely at ease - and I was so .. not. "Ah... no ... thank you. I don't think so."
"Would you like anything else?" he asked, solicitous. "I will have more clothing for you soon. The doctor thought you'd be sleeping for at least three more days, actually." Smiling right at me, Treize said, "You're making a wonderful recovery!"
"And .. who is my doctor?"
"Dr. Sarah White," he answered.
"I don't know her," I frowned, thinking.
"Perhaps not," he allowed. "But she was stationed with you during your patrol in the Pacific. She is very capable. You'll be seeing her tomorrow." Treize was putting everything away as he chatted, deftly making room for my cup on the tray. "She'll need to do a final examination before she'll clear you to do any type of physical activity, you know."
"Of .. course..," I muttered, watching him. What kind of physical activity could he possibly be thinking of?
"Ah... but what a poor host I am." Treize leaned toward me again, looking very concerned. "Do you like your room?"
Do I ... do I ... what ...?.. It took several moments for me to process exactly what it was he was asking me - and when I did, I was anything but circumspect. "Do I like my room? Do I have a choice?"
He shocked me again by bursting into laughter. "But of course you do!" Waving one hand that encompassed the entire house, he continued, "Prove yourself trustworthy to me, Ms. Po, and you will have all the freedom you could wish for, with one single exception."
"Why, thank you, General," I said, glancing sideways at him. Right, now - let's try a little test, shall we? Giving him a sunny smile, I said, "But you realize, of course, that that bit of information means that all the doors in your house would need to be unlocked. And what, exactly, would be that one single exception?"
"Saaa ... it would," he said, leaning back and considering me, a thoughtful expression on his face. "And the exception is, of course, your ultimate freedom. Not to mention, of course, that you'd be arrested before you could get anywhere, even if you DID manage to run off the property."
Well, that was rather serious. "What .. what exactly do you mean, General?" I wasn't playing - there was no question of any pretense or artifice now.
Treize raised one forked eyebrow at me. "Well, Ms. Po ... you are known as a war criminal."
"A war criminal?" I broke in, incensed. "That's absurd!"
"You were part of the war. Part of the guerilla aspect, actually."
"That would mean that everyone involved was a war criminal," I snapped. A war criminal? Me? Completely absurd ...
"Une was not the only one of my people to bring charges against you," Treize said, his tone gentle. "The trial was held while you were in a coma. You are considered a very powerful influence, Ms. Po."
I ignored his last remark - frankly, it seemed safer that way. But I couldn't keep the sarcasm from my tone at all. "Did I do well defending myself? While I was in the coma, I mean?"
"No," he replied mildly, "but your lawyer did. Whom I hired."
Well. That took me totally by surprise. I sat there and stared at him for what felt like ages. "Oh," I finally said. "But I was convicted."
"It was decided that your crimes were not on the level of Tsubarov, nor anything at all like Septem, nor any of the five who created the gundams. In the end, you were considered an accessory - and that was due, in no small part, to your lawyer - but it is something that I don't honestly believe to be true."
His gaze became piercing; if I thought it was bad before, the intensity skyrocketed at this last bit of information. "That means you are not sentenced to life in prison, but to house arrest. You are not a woman easily influenced. I know and you know that you acted on your own accord, under your own direction."
Now another piece fell into place, and something finally hit home. "I ... wait. House arrest? Does that mean that you - you are my ... guardian?"
"Yes, for the time being." I stared at him, not knowing what to say. He raised his eyebrow at me and continued. "Right now, though, the world considers you poorly used - which is good, or else they would hate you in the same manner they hate the gundam pilots." Tilting his head and leaning back in his chair, Treize finished, "So yes. You are ... 'mine.' In a way."
I shifted under the blanket and looked down, just to have somewhere else to look besides his face - perfect or not, it was beginning to really bother me. Guardian? I didn't like that at all. Wufei imprisoned here, and unwilling to escape? I didn't like that either. And the way Khushrenada looked at Wufei? Not good or healthy for Wufei. This was not shaping up to be a good situation for either one of us.
"Ms. Po." His voice was even, measured; when I looked up, I found myself looking into eyes that appeared to be open and honest. "Feel free to say anything you like. I will listen, and gladly dialogue - but there is probably little you can change here."
"Oh, I realize that, General," I said. My gaze flicked from his face to the fire. It was infinitely easier for me to look at the fire when talking to him than to look at his eyes. "I am in control of precisely nothing. I have an identity that allows me no freedom whatsoever - a companion who craves my company enough to prevent my imprisonment away from him - and an urbane jailor. What more could I possibly wish for? Except, perhaps, for underwear." I shook my head slowly. "But it is completely obvious that in the time I was - 'away' - my entire world was turned inside out." Well. I hadn't planned on saying all that. I could feel the heat flash across my face as I stared into the small flames dancing in the hearth.
"Ms. Po."
Sighing, I glanced over at the general. He was still seated, but was looking at me now with an expression that was - for lack of a better word - kind.
"You could look at it another way," he said gently. "Especially since much of one's personal circumstance DOES depend upon one's outlook."
I nodded wearily. "That is true, General. I am alive, and relatively unharmed."
Holding my gaze, he said, "Yes - your life, such as it was, is gone - but you knew that could happen when you chose your current profession. So, in a sense, your worst fear has happened. You lost the war." His gaze locked with mine; I could not look away as he continued, "But you are not dead, nor in prison - not really. This is no more restricting than the average boarding school; less so, in fact. And you have proof that at least one person cares for you greatly, enough to attempt to bargain for your presence. You have your life ahead of you, Ms. Po. It may not be as bad as you think, and will be full of opportunity."
I closed my eyes and lowered my head, not trusting myself to say anything. I knew - knew that Wufei cared for me. How I knew that, though, was something that I really didn't understand. And somehow, this man knew it, too - and that was alarming in and of itself. To be known and understood by Treize Khushrenada was ... frightening.
Unexpectedly, he reached over and touched the side of my face, a small smile on his, then withdrew. "This is NOW, Ms. Po," he said, his voice still gentle and soft. "Given time, those who felt you were a threat will cease to feel so, and you will be freed. You must simply have patience." A twinkle touched his eyes as he looked at me, gently demanding my attention again. "And be glad, on top of all this, that the one who 'has' you at present is not one who will take advantage of you." He raised his eyebrow at me and gave me a small, teasing smile. "Underwear or not."
".......oh..."
There are times when I can come up with witty rejoinders to almost anything anyone says immediately. This, unfortunately, was NOT one of those times; about the only thing I could do was stare at Treize and cringe inside my blanket, brave resistance leader that I was, feeling as if my face was turning the color of ripe tomatoes.
And he's smiling at me, dammit, smiling and not letting me look away ... gaahh.....
".....thank you......"
"I am sorry I cannot offer you your freedom - but the loss of that was a choice and a risk you understood and took when you became a vigilante."
"Vigilante? I wasn't a vigilante," I said, sitting up a little straighter. What the hell ..? "That's ridiculous."
Treize shrugged. "Perhaps. It was much nicer than some of the other terms that were given out. Tsubarov, in particular, had a bad time of it."
And that's because he was a psychotic monster, I thought angrily.
"...but you set yourself up against the established government in your own pursuit of justice. 'Vigilante' works."
I snorted. "I don't think so."
"Well," Treize said thoughtfully, "I would like to hear your side sometime. The war is over, and we are at peace - but I still must question if I was right. I would like to know ... if I did the right thing."
I glared at him. Is this guy for real? "You heard my side - in court, remember? The lawyer you hired told my side of the story - to the people that were chosen for the jury, and to the judge that was chosen to sit on that case. Everybody heard the story they wanted to hear." I scowled and sat back in the chair, piqued beyond belief. He wants me to tell him why I was fighting, after I was convicted by that bogus kangaroo court? Ha. I don't think so.
Snorting softly, Treize looked at me and said, "That was not your side. I am well aware of that. Unfortunately, there was no one who could present it accurately - and if there had been, you might have received worse than house arrest. OZ is quite popular now. I do not know why you fought. Someday ... I would like to."
I'll just bet you would. You keep that little idea in your head, I thought angrily.
He looked at me again, a strange expression in his eyes. "I also believe in taking action, Ms. Po. Don't forget - I overthrew Romefeller. They had grown to the point where they no longer considered human needs. I believed that was wrong ... and acted on it. You did the same. I hold you no bitterness."
Well, now, there was something that was downright uncomfortable to think about. That actually meant that we - Treize and I - were more alike than I cared to think about. I shifted in my chair again and looked at the fire, at the floor, basically anywhere except directly at him. That was just a little too weird for me right now.
"You never did answer me, you know -"
I blinked, looking up at him, puzzled. "What?"
He smiled at me, very non-threatening. "Do you like your room? Or do you wish for another?"
I stared at him for a moment, trying to gather my wits. What was I supposed to do? "Well .. it seems fine enough .. I have nothing to compare it to. I lack for nothing-"
"I wasn't sure if you'd prefer being closer to Wufei or not ...?"
At the mention of Wufei's name, I sat up straighter and looked right at him. Well, of course I wanted to be closer to him - but I feared some kind of trick on Khushrenada's part.
Treize simply looked at me, inquiring. "Ms. Po? Is there a problem?"
I started, but fortunately recovered quickly. "Oh, no, General, no problem. I would like to be closer to Wufei ... but I didn't want to be any trouble."
"Ah, you are certainly no trouble at all. I do want to emphasize that you will be living here for some time, and I do wish you to be as comfortable as possible. Should you find you need anything, simply tell me. Please feel free to borrow any of my books - of course, the television is here - you already know how to work that. As for the telephone - is there anyone you wish to call?"
I stared at him as if he just sprouted another head from his shoulders. "Call?" I repeated stupidly. "You must be joking."
"Ms. Po," he said, raising his eyebrow, "why would I be joking? You are under house arrest. You are not in solitary confinement. Of course," he continued, his tone dry, "I would appreciate no terrorist activities while you live in my home. Certainly, that isn't too much to ask - but you may use the telephone when you wish. Simply let me know. Now - DO you have anyone you need to call?"
"Ah .. well .. no. I can't think of anyone who I would call right now .. really..."
"If you prove trustworthy enough, I will have a telephone installed in your room. But I don't know you yet," he finished gently. "Wufei ... I trust. Please take no offense in my current doubt about you. I simply don't know you."
"Well - that's reasonable," I said, looking him. "You only know of me."
Nodding, Treize continued, "..and that Wufei trusts you - which, to me, means quite a bit." He reached out, took my hands and drew me out of the chair, his touch firm and steadying. "Let's go choose a room for you near Wufei, shall we?"
I turned my face up to answer and was shocked to find his about three centimeters away from mine, his blue gaze right there. At that range, it was easy to see that even his skin was flawless. Plus ... being that close to him ... oh, it did something to my hormonal levels that I couldn't begin to control or describe ...
"You're recovering beautifully," he murmured to me. "You look fine - you're coherent. Dr. White will be pleased. Come, now. Sit here." And he pulled the wheelchair over from the alcove and waited for me to sit down.
Fortunately for me, Treize had to move away to get the wheelchair; otherwise, I would have simply been standing there staring at him, mesmerized by whatever power it was that flowed effortlessly like water from his body to mine. As it was, I had to shake my head a little just to clear it while his back was to me.
"I'm glad you approve, General." When he turned back, I realized he was going to wait - patiently, it seemed - until I gave in and did as he asked. I sank into the chair with a sigh.
"I do approve, Ms. Po. I want to see you well, whether you choose to believe me or not."
Several minutes later we were outside Wufei's bedroom, and Treize was gesturing to several other doors in the hallway.
"Please, Ms. Po - choose any one you like. They are all unused. Wufei chose this room for its proximity to the library and the exercise room. I certainly hope you'll take advantage of both as you strengthen."
At this point, any room would do - I suddenly felt extremely tired and a little dizzy. "This one, then - it should be fine."
Nodding, Treize pulled out his keys, unlocked the door, then pulled the door open. Handing the key to me, he pushed the door a bit wider, then rolled me into the room.
I did notice something then that I didn't really think about until later - Wufei's room smelled of roses; and my room upstairs had smelled of roses; but THIS room did not smell of roses. Just something that was filed away in my brain to be examined another time.
"Is this acceptable?" he asked, bending down to me.
I looked around - the room was lovely, done in a masculine touch. It seemed a little impersonal, but that could change, of course. And the bed looked particularly inviting to me ...
"It's very nice, General. I'm sure I'll be very comfortable here," I said, wishing he would leave so I could collapse on the bed.
He moved over to one side of the wheelchair and helped me out; and then, very unexpectedly, walked me over, gently pushed down on my shoulders and sat me down on the bed. He bent over so that we were eye to eye, keeping his hands on my shoulders, and started talking to me.
"If I can trust you, Sally, then you will not be confined here completely. I WILL take you out with me as much as I legally can - but you must prove yourself." His voice was gentle, but his manner was firm. "I remember infractions, and I act accordingly."
Well, this was getting weirder by the second. I clenched my jaw and told myself NOT to pull back, that I would be all right no matter HOW close he came to me. "O...okay... I understand..."
He slid his hands from my shoulders to my back, straightening as he gently patted me, leaving a warm, electric trail where his fingers and palm had been. "Do sleep well, Sally. If you enjoy the opera, Wufei and I are going this weekend. It is now Monday, in case you were not sure. I will be by with Dr. White in the morning."
"R..really?" I stared at him, hating my voice for sounding so plaintive. "I would like to go."
He gave me a broad smile. "Yes, absolutely. By that time you should have suitable clothes. Now, should you require anything else, don't hesitate to knock on Wufei's door. He won't mind. And, of course, he knows where my room is."
I swallowed. Now there's an association I didn't need to make. "I'm sure I won't need anything."
"Once I know you won't use your razors to attack me in my sleep, I'll certainly tell you where my room is. For now, though, messages will have to come through Wufei to me in the dead of night."
"Ah," I said, feeling my face grow hot again, "I understand your caution. I would be careful, too. Good night, General."
"Good night, Ms. Po."
He finally left, closing the door softly behind him. As soon as the man was out of the room, I drooped. Literally. I had almost reached my limit, but not quite - there were still one or two things I wanted to do before I went to sleep.
Sliding off the bed - it was surprisingly high - I walked into the attached bathroom. Nice, very nice. It was essentially the same as Wufei's, with a different color scheme. Looking at the tub, I suddenly felt the urge to take a long, soaking hot bath, something that would draw the tiredness and confusion out of my muscles for me.
Binding my hair on top of my head, I indulged myself. I sat in water that was so hot it was just bearable; the heat slipped into my shoulders and loosened the knots around my neck.
Toweling myself dry and slipping into the pantsuit again - because, really, I had nothing else to wear, and I certainly wasn't about to crawl into bed naked - I left the bathroom.
Just one more thing to do before bedtime.
I padded over to the door, turned the knob, and - heh - was pleasantly surprised. Khushrenada had NOT locked me in. Slowly, slowly, I opened the door and peered outside my room.
The hallway was deserted, but there were noises coming from Wufei's room - and there was a light shining under the door. Quickly, I pulled myself back into my room, leaving the door open just a bit - but it was large enough to see and hear Wufei as he flung open his door and stomped down the hall toward the library, his face flushed and scowling, clutching a book in his hands.
What the hell is going on? Puzzled, I stuck my head out the door a little farther and watched him march down the corridor, then swung it back to look into his room. And - oh.
My.
There was his desk, littered with papers. There was a light on at the desk, peppering golden light all over the papers and books spilled across the desk. And there was Treize, leaning against the desk, sitting in a chair with the top of his shirt unbuttoned, a rather casual, tousled, look for him. Plus .. that pulsing, sensual, something that seemed to accompany him wherever he went was right there with him. It surrounded him - it just seemed to ooze off him, and he wasn't even doing anything to actually make it happen - it was just ... natural. Part of him. Gods, that's something the vidflicks certainly didn't pick up. No wonder people went wild when they saw his speeches in person.
But - now - what the hell was he doing with Wufei? I couldn't move, let alone look away; I felt like I was frozen in place. And when he noticed me, what did he do? He gave me a beautiful smile and put one finger to his lips, as though he was telling me, 'shhhhhhh, be quiet.'
Then, faintly, I heard a door slam, and I knew that was Wufei leaving the library and coming back to his room. I knew I had to turn away and go into my own room, but I couldn't move. Treize looked straight AT me while this was flashing through my mind, and - he knew it. He knew I couldn't move; and he leaned forward a little, looking right into my eyes and mouthed the words, " ... don't ... assume ..."
....I thought my stomach was going to drop out of my body.
Fortunately after that I found I could move, so I pulled myself back into the room as fast as possible and softly closed the door. I could still hear Wufei stomp by, though, growling something about 'another meaning in the Greek' before HIS door slammed shut.
I walked over to my window and stared outside for a few moments, not seeing anything, my hand trembling slightly. Wondering how on earth I was going to convince Wufei to escape with me from this place ... because if what I thought was correct, we really didn't have much time at all ...
Tapestry - Chapter 7
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Face it, Maxwell. He's a traitor, pure and simple."
Sighting along the barrel of his newly acquired pistol, Heero Yuy glanced over at a scowling Duo and narrowed his eyes slightly, annoyed that he needed to explain something so obvious yet again. "Point one: he's never going to leave Khushrenada. He's already said as much. Refusing to come with us when we escaped was a pretty big clue. Even you should have understood that."
"You don't know anything, Heero," snapped Duo, glowering at the assassin with all the force he could muster. "You have no idea why he's doing what he's doing. For all you know, he could be trying to kill Khushrenada right now."
Both gundam pilots were in an abandoned steel warehouse on the outskirts of Luxembourg-Villa, along with Howard, an enormous collection of gundonium, miscellaneous spare parts, and mountains and mountains of abandoned machinery. The massive amounts of structural steel and gundonium were slowly taking the shape of a mobile suit; Duo was sitting cross-legged next to one pile, rapidly firing bolts through several metal flanges with a pneumatic drill, scowling and squinting at Heero through the gloom. Wisely, Howard stayed away from them, opting instead to program several of the other automatic welding machines at the opposite end of the warehouse floor.
Heero stared back, completely unaffected by Duo's death glare. "Right. Point two: he's never going to be of any use to us. He sold himself so he could stay alive. He's given us no information since our escape, and you know that as well as I do.." Snorting softly, Heero shook his head in dismissal and used his pistol to gesture behind Duo. "Just forget about him and concentrate on something that could actually use your talents - like that collection of junk back there."
"You don't know anything, Heero," Duo snapped again, now completely out of sorts at having both his friend and his gundam maligned and belittled by Yuy. Uncrossing his legs, Duo stood up and stalked angrily over to the other youth, his full attention on Heero, one hand curled into a fist while the other clutched the butt of drill, a vaguely threatening set to his chin. "How many times do we have to go over this until it sinks into that thick skull of yours? Did you think it was your own incredible talent that allowed you to escape so easily from Khushrenada's base, hmm? Wufei had nothing to do with it, did he? He never bargained for your freedom at all - never traded anything to Khushrenada for you - "
"I never asked him to do anything for me," Heero retorted mildly, eyeing Duo as he closed the distance between them. "That was a decision he made completely on his own."
"Which could only benefit you," Duo immediately hissed, stabbing his finger at Heero, missing his chest by millimeters as he thrust his face forward, his eyes bright and angry. "And don't pretend that it didn't, either, bud, because it did."
"Stop this nonsense - she is awake."
Thoroughly surprised, both pilots frowned and turned as one to see Trowa striding through the double doors of the warehouse. Nodding to Harold, Trowa took in the situation between them in one long glance. Raising one sardonic eyebrow, Trowa walked across to Duo, gently grasped his wrist and dislodged his fingers from the trigger of the drill, asking "...and what, exactly, were you going to do with this?"
"Nothing," Duo muttered as he pulled his wrist away and cradled the power tool in his arms, glaring impotently at Heero. "Didn't you just say something..?"
Amused, Trowa nodded. "Yes. Sally Po is awake again - but this time, she is fully awake and moving about on her own."
Duo gave the other pilot a strange look. "Whoa, guy, slow down. You know Sally? Is she all right? And what do you mean, again?"
Unruffled, Trowa looked at Duo. "Of course I know Sally Po. She awoke first about a week ago, but her body was not up to the strain. Now, however, she is stronger. She is fully alert and moving about on her own."
"What're you doing, Tro, keeping tabs on her?" Duo scowled, remembering when he was imprisoned at the former Romefeller estate. "It's hard enough getting there without being seen. You must have some good cover." He gave Trowa an expressionless look. "Did you see Wufei?"
Trowa nodded. "I did. He appears unharmed and healthy."
A derisive snort came from Heero's direction. Ignoring him, Duo went on. "Wu told me - when I was there - that he wanted to get her out of there as soon as she could travel. Is she well enough?"
Trowa turned to look at the partially constructed gundam behind Duo. "She's well enough, but we won't have the opportunity to pull her out. My information says that we must make contact with her tomorrow if we are to make contact at all."
"Tomorrow? Are you sure? That's - damn, Trowa, that's awfully quick -"
"I'm up to the challenge," Yuy said, matter-of-fact, concentrating on the computer in front of him.
"Get stuffed, Yuy," Duo said absently, watching Trowa. "So it's only stage one contact right now, right, Trow? We can't pull her out?"
The dark haired youth nodded, his visible eye sparkling. "That's all, Maxwell. That's all we can afford to do right now."
"All right." Duo bent and scooped up an old, battered backpack from the floor and unzipped the front pocket. He dipped his hand inside, frowned as he fumbled around for a moment, then beamed as he apparently found what he wanted.
"Here," he said, dropping something into Trowa's hand. "It's the smallest I could - erm - find. I programmed it, so it's all ready to go."
"Fine. We'll get one chance to deliver and one chance to test it tomorrow."
"It'll work," Duo said, smirking, his head bobbing in assurance.
"Probably," came the enigmatic reply.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was staring at Khushrenada. I knew I was staring at him, but really, I couldn't help myself. In fact, the more I thought about what he just said - the bombshell he dropped on my well ordered, you're-with-the-bad-guys-and-I'm-with-the-good-guys world - the more acutely horrified I started to feel.
Wufei was of the Dragon Clan; but that wasn't what was making my head spin. Wufei had been on A0206 at the same time Septem ordered me to "disinfect" it. Had been there with his wife - gods, the boy was married? - when my people attacked it, hitting the colony with all the firepower possible, the sole intent to wipe out all life - "disinfect" it - that is, until I ordered them back. And it may have been my people, inadvertently, who almost killed Wufei, and who certainly killed members of his clan. As I thought about that, I felt as if something dull and heavy was twisting around in my gut, slowly slicing a path through my stomach to the base of my spine. Somehow, I had failed him; a part of me felt as though I should have protected him from that assault. I pulled back, but not in time ... I should have been there for him ...
"...and the life of his teacher - one of the five men who were responsible for this hoax of a war. The man who, apparently, raised him...."
Gods, how could I have been so careless, so unthinking, so ... Shaking my head, I looked at Treize and realized that not only was he staring at me, but that he had said something else to me - and again I had missed it, lost in my own thoughts. Damn. Trying to recover, I cast around in my mind for the last thing I remembered hearing him say. "What - who - his teacher?" I repeated, blinking. "He is still alive?"
Treize appeared thoughtful, regarding me from under lowered lashes, elbows resting comfortably on the arms of his chair with his fingers steepled together. He took a moment before answering, looking at me long enough that I wondered whether or not he was going to respond.
"I'm not sure if I can answer that without revealing too much that still is confidential, Ms. Po," he finally said, watching me with a small smile that did not quite reach his eyes. His blue gaze, penetrating and cool, lanced through me to the bottom of my toes.
As if he knew what I had been thinking ... but that's ridiculous ...
"However - I will say that all of this does lead up to one important aspect, something definitely worth your understanding. The Dragon Clan has a high sense of honor. They feel very ... protective ... of the one whom they believe to be the best example of themselves. It is in their nature to feel protective toward this person."
"Wufei," I whispered under my breath.
Nodding, Treize continued, leaning back in his chair. "Exactly. His clan believes they are descended from the dragon god Seiyruu, you know. And, as they believe Wufei to be the best they have ever produced - and yes, Ms. Po, that does mean the best in their entire history - they consider their own existence as nothing, except inasmuch as it strengthens him." Smiling a bit, he finished gently, "Unlike Heero Yuy, Wufei is far from the perfect soldier. He feels too much."
My mind drifted back to the boy I knew in the mountains of China; self doubting, questioning - and, bewildered, I realized that what Treize said was no more or less than the truth. "Well - in any case, it seems we're back to my original question. Why are Wufei and I here?"
"Ah, well, Ms. Po," he murmured, watching me, "you needed to know the background, you see. The colonies did not want their pilots back. Period. They would have executed them, as would our justice system here on earth. So - since, in spite of their youth, they ARE adults, I took them aside and discussed the matter with each of them - just to keep them abreast of the situation." Tilting his head slightly and shifting his weight in his chair, Khushrenada's expression seemed to intensify slightly. "You were still in the hospital during this time, although I was told you showed signs of wakefulness. I had not seen you at that point. Once I saw you, of course, there was no question that you belonged here as well."
"I ... oh," I managed. Several things were bothering me at that moment, not the least of which was my feeling that the gundam pilots were certainly not adults in the sense that Khushrenada was. The man had a preternatural presence about him; the power in his gaze, coupled with the burning intelligence I knew was behind his eyes, made me feel as though I was miles out of my league. I felt as if I needed to weigh every word I said, watch every step I took.
Because if I didn't, an error made now could be ... costly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Time passed.
And we had been talking ... and talking ... and talking. Never in my entire career had I ever met anyone like Khushrenada. One's enemy was supposed to interrogate you, true - but never in my experience had any opponent actually had a civilized conversation with a captured enemy soldier and patiently explained not only the situation at hand, but his thinking and why he took certain actions during the conflict.
I had the uneasy feeling that if I asked him, he would have told me without hesitation exactly how to escape the mansion without being detected. Too bizarre for words, I thought, staring at him, disregarding for the moment the thread of their conversation. This conversation is just ... surreal.
One forked eyebrow was raised in polite remonstrance. "Ms. Po," he said gently, almost chiding, "please do not judge unless you HAVE been in this kind of situation - when it seems that there IS no right turn. And yet ... one cannot simply sit and do nothing. Action is demanded, at least in some form."
"I try not to, General," I murmured into my teacup, lowering my gaze. "It is difficult to know exactly what to do without knowing all the facts of the situation." It occurred to me, as I studied the delicate rose pattern around the lip of my cup, that his words could be taken several different ways - and that taken one way, he was giving me a veiled warning. Pay attention, Ms. Po.
His posture was relaxed, open, and completely at ease, as if he had nothing to hide. "As I said - the other gundam pilots were either released or escaped - save Wufei, of course. Heero Yuy supposedly self-destructed almost two months ago, as you recall. Only gundam 03 and its pilot have not been found.."
"Do you believe him dead?"
Treize considered the question, appearing to mull it over seriously. "I don't honestly know," he finally replied, looking back at me.
"I see," I murmured, nodding. It was all I could do to not cheer; if they had not found the pilot at this point, then the probability was excellent that they never would. And, considering that he was a gundam pilot, I seriously doubted he was dead. His gundam afforded him some protection against OZ -and the gundam creators only chose clever, intelligent people to pilot their machines. That boy was hiding somewhere, and was hiding himself well.
"You mentioned something about a bargain a while ago - and my part in it ...?"
His gaze slid over and around me, as if he was seeing me for the first time. Smiling softly, he leaned over and gently claimed my teacup from my grasp, his fingers lightly moving near the back of my hand. "I made a decision, at this point in the story, that Lady Une called quite foolish." He poured tea and sweetened it, not needing to ask my preference, and handed my cup back, smiling. Automatically, I leaned forward, smiled politely and accepted the cup from him, then sank back against the cushions, watching him, alert.
"Wufei, at this point, had truly earned my ... sympathy," Treize said, hesitating slightly as if he was not sure what word to use. "The young man is brilliant - well educated, considering his isolation; physically incomparable to any other young man his age. And," he continued, shaking his head, looking sad, "he had nowhere to go. Nothing to do. No direction. This war was a waste for him - a personal vendetta. I offered to have him stay here, at least until he found somewhere else he'd rather be."
"And he accepted?"
"He did," Treize remarked casually, "with an agreement. He wished Duo Maxwell released, as well as you and all your people." Khushrenada sighed, looking at me with a wry expression. "I could not release any of you legally - but Duo's abilities came in handy. I agreed with him, in any case. You are not criminals, and should not be treated as such."
I was staring at him again from the relative safety of my cocoon, huddled against the cold and unfamiliar feeling of being completely out of control. "You ... released ..?" I started to ask, my voice weak and slightly shaky. Taking a deep breath, I pushed my trepidation behind me and asked, making my voice stronger, "and - how did Duo assist you?"
Chuckling, Treize shifted his shoulders and settled his back against the chair. "Not as much as I'd hoped. Mr. Maxwell initially refused to leave - but he did help those whom I trusted break your men out."
"So they are free," I murmured, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Oh, yes, Ms. Po, absolutely. You are not, though, for various reasons - several very practical ones being that you were under heavy guard and could not walk under your own power - nor, I suspect, carry a gun." Amused, Treize looked at me. "I brought you here so you would be safer, and not alone. And then, two days later, Mr. Maxwell escaped."
"I'm not surprised," I retorted mildly. Looking past the darkened windows to the grounds outside, I nodded and frowned, "...but ... I don't understand. You told me that this place was not close to any real city-"
The general leaned toward I and looked me straight in the eyes. "I am convinced he escaped with outside help, Ms. Po," said, he said, his blue gaze unwavering. "Because otherwise, he would not have left without Wufei. Of course, Wufei refused to leave. He gave his word."
"Of course - his honor," I realized.
Nodding in assent, Treize looked at me with half lidded eyes, hiding a small smile in his teacup. "I do so appreciate an honorable man. There are so few in this world."
A sinking feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. "So. Wufei gave his word to you that he will not escape?"
"He did," Treize acknowledged. "It would not be safe for him to be anywhere else. First, he has nowhere to go - second, any who recognized him would attempt to either capture or kill him on sight. He is very unique physically - he cannot simply blend into a crowd."
"But didn't you say this was just temporary for him?"
"Oh, certainly - but he has learned to trust my judgment." Putting his cup on the low end table next to his chair, Treize moved a little closer to me. "I do not mean him harm, Ms. Po. I wish him to be the best that he can - to reach his potential. To that end, I have set up training and education for him while he is here." A small, appreciative smile crossed his face. "None of his skills will be wasted, and it gives him something to do. It's easier not to think, then. He still blames himself for the death of his wife."
...his wife died? gods... my men killed her .... "Ah ... I ... see," I said, coughing.
The general raised his eyebrows as I choked, but said nothing." And I let him duel with me on a daily basis," he continued smoothly, watching me. "Hand to hand, knives, whatever he likes. The thought of my death interests him so much that when I offered him the opportunity, he decided to stay. He will stay here as long as I feel it is necessary." A wry look briefly crossed his face. "Or until he kills me. So far, he has not won our duels - but he is getting closer. If he wins, Ms. Po... he will have nothing at all to keep him alive - and that would be utterly tragic. You are here, really, because he requested it - and because I wish him to have SOME other purpose to his life other than visualizing my death, ne?"
Horror moved slowly through my veins, causing my breath to quicken as I looked at him. "He - he duels with you? On a daily basis?" Without warning, that protective instinct toward Wufei asserted itself again, stiffening my spine as I glared at him. "Where on earth did he get the idea that he needed to assassinate you?"
Not that it's a bad idea, per se, but really ...
"When Septem's men attacked, one of them shouted my name as Wufei killed him - really, it's that simple. Wufei believes that I killed his wife, indirectly, in that raid in which you were a part. Even knowing the circumstances of his wife's death has not dissuaded him."
Blue eyes gleamed with amusement and something deeper as I inhaled sharply, reminded again of how I was involved in Wufei's wife's death.
"He used to be a scholar, Ms. Po - not a warrior. I am trying to reignite that passion. Perhaps then he can find a goal in life, other than killing me." Moving his head to one side, the general watched me with what I could only describe as a keen, steady gaze. "Wufei requested that you be brought here, which ... surprised me. Once it was clear you would be well enough to do so, you were. You have been here for several weeks - and you are now caught up with the story, inasmuch as it goes."
I looked at the fire, then back at him. "Yes - I am well and truly 'caught up' now."
"Questions?"
I sighed. "No. None at the moment, at any rate."
He nodded. "Please don't make me regret bringing you here, Ms. Po. I did so because Wufei wished it, and, except for that request, has expressed no desire other than my death in weeks. You are here as my guest, even though legally you are my prisoner. I would rather not keep you confined."
"I will remember that, General," I replied politely. And you could be sure that I would, too.
He gave me a small smile. "That expression MUST have a statement behind it. You may tell me what you think, you know. I am certainly aware of your feelings. You won't shock me."
"You mean I can trust you?" I snorted softly to myself. Now there's a novel idea.
"You may always trust my word, Ms. Po. I do not lie, nor do I break my word. You may ask Wufei." Khushrenada leaned forward and looked into my eyes. "I have done nothing to him that was not without his express consent."
I stared at him from the safety of my blanket, thinking about the mounds of colorful clothes in Wufei's drawers; the familiar hand on Wufei's shoulder before dinner; the way Khushrenada had watched him when he was exercising, with that slightly predatory expression; and the way Wufei looked and acted when I was alone with him, as if there was something he just didn't want to talk about.
....gods....
That feeling I had toward Wufei - the one where I wanted to defend him against whatever I felt was threatening him - was now a tight ball in my chest, perilously large, ready to explode outward; and along with it was an insistent, compelling urge to get him as far away from Khushrenada as possible. This man was dangerous to Wufei in ways I didn't even want to consider.
But he won't go, whispered that annoyingly accurate voice of mine, you know that. He promised Khushrenada - and his word IS his bond. Unless the general releases him, he will not leave, no matter what.
I ground my teeth in frustration. Well, I can still try to persuade him, can't I? In the meantime, I can also work against Khushrenada - subtlety, of course. I may not be free, but I'm certainly not dead. And 'subtlety' was a key word for me. I knew that anything I did or said needed to be handled ... delicately. Not with my usual flair.
"Age and experience play into many things, General. And there is such a thing as 'informed consent,' you know," I said, careful that my voice was a neutral, colorless tone. No reason to offend him immediately - I was reasonably sure I was going to offend him plenty of other times.
"I do not practice 'informed consent,' Ms. Po. It seems .... deceitful to me," he responded, glancing at me. I could have sworn there was a slight, amused twinkle in his eyes.
"Ah, well - I would hate to believe that Wufei was ... taken advantage of because he was ... inexperienced," I murmured, still keeping my tone colorlessly disinterested, looking up at him from under lowered lashes.
"That would be ... terrible," Treize agreed. "Fortunately, he is under my protection."
I closed my eyes briefly - oh, yes, having the sheep under the wolf's protection is ALWAYS such a good idea - then looked into my teacup. "Oh .. yes. That is true."
Treize paused for a moment. His voice suddenly took on the strength and timbre of a teacher's voice as he reproached me. "Don't assume, Sally. It's not becoming."
I was shocked; turning to look at him, I felt the blood drain from my cheeks and a cold fist twist in my stomach. Somehow, this man had divined what I had been thinking and had answered it. Again.
Holding my gaze, he asked pleasantly, "Would you like some more tea?"
He was completely at ease - and I was so .. not. "Ah... no ... thank you. I don't think so."
"Would you like anything else?" he asked, solicitous. "I will have more clothing for you soon. The doctor thought you'd be sleeping for at least three more days, actually." Smiling right at me, Treize said, "You're making a wonderful recovery!"
"And .. who is my doctor?"
"Dr. Sarah White," he answered.
"I don't know her," I frowned, thinking.
"Perhaps not," he allowed. "But she was stationed with you during your patrol in the Pacific. She is very capable. You'll be seeing her tomorrow." Treize was putting everything away as he chatted, deftly making room for my cup on the tray. "She'll need to do a final examination before she'll clear you to do any type of physical activity, you know."
"Of .. course..," I muttered, watching him. What kind of physical activity could he possibly be thinking of?
"Ah... but what a poor host I am." Treize leaned toward me again, looking very concerned. "Do you like your room?"
Do I ... do I ... what ...?.. It took several moments for me to process exactly what it was he was asking me - and when I did, I was anything but circumspect. "Do I like my room? Do I have a choice?"
He shocked me again by bursting into laughter. "But of course you do!" Waving one hand that encompassed the entire house, he continued, "Prove yourself trustworthy to me, Ms. Po, and you will have all the freedom you could wish for, with one single exception."
"Why, thank you, General," I said, glancing sideways at him. Right, now - let's try a little test, shall we? Giving him a sunny smile, I said, "But you realize, of course, that that bit of information means that all the doors in your house would need to be unlocked. And what, exactly, would be that one single exception?"
"Saaa ... it would," he said, leaning back and considering me, a thoughtful expression on his face. "And the exception is, of course, your ultimate freedom. Not to mention, of course, that you'd be arrested before you could get anywhere, even if you DID manage to run off the property."
Well, that was rather serious. "What .. what exactly do you mean, General?" I wasn't playing - there was no question of any pretense or artifice now.
Treize raised one forked eyebrow at me. "Well, Ms. Po ... you are known as a war criminal."
"A war criminal?" I broke in, incensed. "That's absurd!"
"You were part of the war. Part of the guerilla aspect, actually."
"That would mean that everyone involved was a war criminal," I snapped. A war criminal? Me? Completely absurd ...
"Une was not the only one of my people to bring charges against you," Treize said, his tone gentle. "The trial was held while you were in a coma. You are considered a very powerful influence, Ms. Po."
I ignored his last remark - frankly, it seemed safer that way. But I couldn't keep the sarcasm from my tone at all. "Did I do well defending myself? While I was in the coma, I mean?"
"No," he replied mildly, "but your lawyer did. Whom I hired."
Well. That took me totally by surprise. I sat there and stared at him for what felt like ages. "Oh," I finally said. "But I was convicted."
"It was decided that your crimes were not on the level of Tsubarov, nor anything at all like Septem, nor any of the five who created the gundams. In the end, you were considered an accessory - and that was due, in no small part, to your lawyer - but it is something that I don't honestly believe to be true."
His gaze became piercing; if I thought it was bad before, the intensity skyrocketed at this last bit of information. "That means you are not sentenced to life in prison, but to house arrest. You are not a woman easily influenced. I know and you know that you acted on your own accord, under your own direction."
Now another piece fell into place, and something finally hit home. "I ... wait. House arrest? Does that mean that you - you are my ... guardian?"
"Yes, for the time being." I stared at him, not knowing what to say. He raised his eyebrow at me and continued. "Right now, though, the world considers you poorly used - which is good, or else they would hate you in the same manner they hate the gundam pilots." Tilting his head and leaning back in his chair, Treize finished, "So yes. You are ... 'mine.' In a way."
I shifted under the blanket and looked down, just to have somewhere else to look besides his face - perfect or not, it was beginning to really bother me. Guardian? I didn't like that at all. Wufei imprisoned here, and unwilling to escape? I didn't like that either. And the way Khushrenada looked at Wufei? Not good or healthy for Wufei. This was not shaping up to be a good situation for either one of us.
"Ms. Po." His voice was even, measured; when I looked up, I found myself looking into eyes that appeared to be open and honest. "Feel free to say anything you like. I will listen, and gladly dialogue - but there is probably little you can change here."
"Oh, I realize that, General," I said. My gaze flicked from his face to the fire. It was infinitely easier for me to look at the fire when talking to him than to look at his eyes. "I am in control of precisely nothing. I have an identity that allows me no freedom whatsoever - a companion who craves my company enough to prevent my imprisonment away from him - and an urbane jailor. What more could I possibly wish for? Except, perhaps, for underwear." I shook my head slowly. "But it is completely obvious that in the time I was - 'away' - my entire world was turned inside out." Well. I hadn't planned on saying all that. I could feel the heat flash across my face as I stared into the small flames dancing in the hearth.
"Ms. Po."
Sighing, I glanced over at the general. He was still seated, but was looking at me now with an expression that was - for lack of a better word - kind.
"You could look at it another way," he said gently. "Especially since much of one's personal circumstance DOES depend upon one's outlook."
I nodded wearily. "That is true, General. I am alive, and relatively unharmed."
Holding my gaze, he said, "Yes - your life, such as it was, is gone - but you knew that could happen when you chose your current profession. So, in a sense, your worst fear has happened. You lost the war." His gaze locked with mine; I could not look away as he continued, "But you are not dead, nor in prison - not really. This is no more restricting than the average boarding school; less so, in fact. And you have proof that at least one person cares for you greatly, enough to attempt to bargain for your presence. You have your life ahead of you, Ms. Po. It may not be as bad as you think, and will be full of opportunity."
I closed my eyes and lowered my head, not trusting myself to say anything. I knew - knew that Wufei cared for me. How I knew that, though, was something that I really didn't understand. And somehow, this man knew it, too - and that was alarming in and of itself. To be known and understood by Treize Khushrenada was ... frightening.
Unexpectedly, he reached over and touched the side of my face, a small smile on his, then withdrew. "This is NOW, Ms. Po," he said, his voice still gentle and soft. "Given time, those who felt you were a threat will cease to feel so, and you will be freed. You must simply have patience." A twinkle touched his eyes as he looked at me, gently demanding my attention again. "And be glad, on top of all this, that the one who 'has' you at present is not one who will take advantage of you." He raised his eyebrow at me and gave me a small, teasing smile. "Underwear or not."
".......oh..."
There are times when I can come up with witty rejoinders to almost anything anyone says immediately. This, unfortunately, was NOT one of those times; about the only thing I could do was stare at Treize and cringe inside my blanket, brave resistance leader that I was, feeling as if my face was turning the color of ripe tomatoes.
And he's smiling at me, dammit, smiling and not letting me look away ... gaahh.....
".....thank you......"
"I am sorry I cannot offer you your freedom - but the loss of that was a choice and a risk you understood and took when you became a vigilante."
"Vigilante? I wasn't a vigilante," I said, sitting up a little straighter. What the hell ..? "That's ridiculous."
Treize shrugged. "Perhaps. It was much nicer than some of the other terms that were given out. Tsubarov, in particular, had a bad time of it."
And that's because he was a psychotic monster, I thought angrily.
"...but you set yourself up against the established government in your own pursuit of justice. 'Vigilante' works."
I snorted. "I don't think so."
"Well," Treize said thoughtfully, "I would like to hear your side sometime. The war is over, and we are at peace - but I still must question if I was right. I would like to know ... if I did the right thing."
I glared at him. Is this guy for real? "You heard my side - in court, remember? The lawyer you hired told my side of the story - to the people that were chosen for the jury, and to the judge that was chosen to sit on that case. Everybody heard the story they wanted to hear." I scowled and sat back in the chair, piqued beyond belief. He wants me to tell him why I was fighting, after I was convicted by that bogus kangaroo court? Ha. I don't think so.
Snorting softly, Treize looked at me and said, "That was not your side. I am well aware of that. Unfortunately, there was no one who could present it accurately - and if there had been, you might have received worse than house arrest. OZ is quite popular now. I do not know why you fought. Someday ... I would like to."
I'll just bet you would. You keep that little idea in your head, I thought angrily.
He looked at me again, a strange expression in his eyes. "I also believe in taking action, Ms. Po. Don't forget - I overthrew Romefeller. They had grown to the point where they no longer considered human needs. I believed that was wrong ... and acted on it. You did the same. I hold you no bitterness."
Well, now, there was something that was downright uncomfortable to think about. That actually meant that we - Treize and I - were more alike than I cared to think about. I shifted in my chair again and looked at the fire, at the floor, basically anywhere except directly at him. That was just a little too weird for me right now.
"You never did answer me, you know -"
I blinked, looking up at him, puzzled. "What?"
He smiled at me, very non-threatening. "Do you like your room? Or do you wish for another?"
I stared at him for a moment, trying to gather my wits. What was I supposed to do? "Well .. it seems fine enough .. I have nothing to compare it to. I lack for nothing-"
"I wasn't sure if you'd prefer being closer to Wufei or not ...?"
At the mention of Wufei's name, I sat up straighter and looked right at him. Well, of course I wanted to be closer to him - but I feared some kind of trick on Khushrenada's part.
Treize simply looked at me, inquiring. "Ms. Po? Is there a problem?"
I started, but fortunately recovered quickly. "Oh, no, General, no problem. I would like to be closer to Wufei ... but I didn't want to be any trouble."
"Ah, you are certainly no trouble at all. I do want to emphasize that you will be living here for some time, and I do wish you to be as comfortable as possible. Should you find you need anything, simply tell me. Please feel free to borrow any of my books - of course, the television is here - you already know how to work that. As for the telephone - is there anyone you wish to call?"
I stared at him as if he just sprouted another head from his shoulders. "Call?" I repeated stupidly. "You must be joking."
"Ms. Po," he said, raising his eyebrow, "why would I be joking? You are under house arrest. You are not in solitary confinement. Of course," he continued, his tone dry, "I would appreciate no terrorist activities while you live in my home. Certainly, that isn't too much to ask - but you may use the telephone when you wish. Simply let me know. Now - DO you have anyone you need to call?"
"Ah .. well .. no. I can't think of anyone who I would call right now .. really..."
"If you prove trustworthy enough, I will have a telephone installed in your room. But I don't know you yet," he finished gently. "Wufei ... I trust. Please take no offense in my current doubt about you. I simply don't know you."
"Well - that's reasonable," I said, looking him. "You only know of me."
Nodding, Treize continued, "..and that Wufei trusts you - which, to me, means quite a bit." He reached out, took my hands and drew me out of the chair, his touch firm and steadying. "Let's go choose a room for you near Wufei, shall we?"
I turned my face up to answer and was shocked to find his about three centimeters away from mine, his blue gaze right there. At that range, it was easy to see that even his skin was flawless. Plus ... being that close to him ... oh, it did something to my hormonal levels that I couldn't begin to control or describe ...
"You're recovering beautifully," he murmured to me. "You look fine - you're coherent. Dr. White will be pleased. Come, now. Sit here." And he pulled the wheelchair over from the alcove and waited for me to sit down.
Fortunately for me, Treize had to move away to get the wheelchair; otherwise, I would have simply been standing there staring at him, mesmerized by whatever power it was that flowed effortlessly like water from his body to mine. As it was, I had to shake my head a little just to clear it while his back was to me.
"I'm glad you approve, General." When he turned back, I realized he was going to wait - patiently, it seemed - until I gave in and did as he asked. I sank into the chair with a sigh.
"I do approve, Ms. Po. I want to see you well, whether you choose to believe me or not."
Several minutes later we were outside Wufei's bedroom, and Treize was gesturing to several other doors in the hallway.
"Please, Ms. Po - choose any one you like. They are all unused. Wufei chose this room for its proximity to the library and the exercise room. I certainly hope you'll take advantage of both as you strengthen."
At this point, any room would do - I suddenly felt extremely tired and a little dizzy. "This one, then - it should be fine."
Nodding, Treize pulled out his keys, unlocked the door, then pulled the door open. Handing the key to me, he pushed the door a bit wider, then rolled me into the room.
I did notice something then that I didn't really think about until later - Wufei's room smelled of roses; and my room upstairs had smelled of roses; but THIS room did not smell of roses. Just something that was filed away in my brain to be examined another time.
"Is this acceptable?" he asked, bending down to me.
I looked around - the room was lovely, done in a masculine touch. It seemed a little impersonal, but that could change, of course. And the bed looked particularly inviting to me ...
"It's very nice, General. I'm sure I'll be very comfortable here," I said, wishing he would leave so I could collapse on the bed.
He moved over to one side of the wheelchair and helped me out; and then, very unexpectedly, walked me over, gently pushed down on my shoulders and sat me down on the bed. He bent over so that we were eye to eye, keeping his hands on my shoulders, and started talking to me.
"If I can trust you, Sally, then you will not be confined here completely. I WILL take you out with me as much as I legally can - but you must prove yourself." His voice was gentle, but his manner was firm. "I remember infractions, and I act accordingly."
Well, this was getting weirder by the second. I clenched my jaw and told myself NOT to pull back, that I would be all right no matter HOW close he came to me. "O...okay... I understand..."
He slid his hands from my shoulders to my back, straightening as he gently patted me, leaving a warm, electric trail where his fingers and palm had been. "Do sleep well, Sally. If you enjoy the opera, Wufei and I are going this weekend. It is now Monday, in case you were not sure. I will be by with Dr. White in the morning."
"R..really?" I stared at him, hating my voice for sounding so plaintive. "I would like to go."
He gave me a broad smile. "Yes, absolutely. By that time you should have suitable clothes. Now, should you require anything else, don't hesitate to knock on Wufei's door. He won't mind. And, of course, he knows where my room is."
I swallowed. Now there's an association I didn't need to make. "I'm sure I won't need anything."
"Once I know you won't use your razors to attack me in my sleep, I'll certainly tell you where my room is. For now, though, messages will have to come through Wufei to me in the dead of night."
"Ah," I said, feeling my face grow hot again, "I understand your caution. I would be careful, too. Good night, General."
"Good night, Ms. Po."
He finally left, closing the door softly behind him. As soon as the man was out of the room, I drooped. Literally. I had almost reached my limit, but not quite - there were still one or two things I wanted to do before I went to sleep.
Sliding off the bed - it was surprisingly high - I walked into the attached bathroom. Nice, very nice. It was essentially the same as Wufei's, with a different color scheme. Looking at the tub, I suddenly felt the urge to take a long, soaking hot bath, something that would draw the tiredness and confusion out of my muscles for me.
Binding my hair on top of my head, I indulged myself. I sat in water that was so hot it was just bearable; the heat slipped into my shoulders and loosened the knots around my neck.
Toweling myself dry and slipping into the pantsuit again - because, really, I had nothing else to wear, and I certainly wasn't about to crawl into bed naked - I left the bathroom.
Just one more thing to do before bedtime.
I padded over to the door, turned the knob, and - heh - was pleasantly surprised. Khushrenada had NOT locked me in. Slowly, slowly, I opened the door and peered outside my room.
The hallway was deserted, but there were noises coming from Wufei's room - and there was a light shining under the door. Quickly, I pulled myself back into my room, leaving the door open just a bit - but it was large enough to see and hear Wufei as he flung open his door and stomped down the hall toward the library, his face flushed and scowling, clutching a book in his hands.
What the hell is going on? Puzzled, I stuck my head out the door a little farther and watched him march down the corridor, then swung it back to look into his room. And - oh.
My.
There was his desk, littered with papers. There was a light on at the desk, peppering golden light all over the papers and books spilled across the desk. And there was Treize, leaning against the desk, sitting in a chair with the top of his shirt unbuttoned, a rather casual, tousled, look for him. Plus .. that pulsing, sensual, something that seemed to accompany him wherever he went was right there with him. It surrounded him - it just seemed to ooze off him, and he wasn't even doing anything to actually make it happen - it was just ... natural. Part of him. Gods, that's something the vidflicks certainly didn't pick up. No wonder people went wild when they saw his speeches in person.
But - now - what the hell was he doing with Wufei? I couldn't move, let alone look away; I felt like I was frozen in place. And when he noticed me, what did he do? He gave me a beautiful smile and put one finger to his lips, as though he was telling me, 'shhhhhhh, be quiet.'
Then, faintly, I heard a door slam, and I knew that was Wufei leaving the library and coming back to his room. I knew I had to turn away and go into my own room, but I couldn't move. Treize looked straight AT me while this was flashing through my mind, and - he knew it. He knew I couldn't move; and he leaned forward a little, looking right into my eyes and mouthed the words, " ... don't ... assume ..."
....I thought my stomach was going to drop out of my body.
Fortunately after that I found I could move, so I pulled myself back into the room as fast as possible and softly closed the door. I could still hear Wufei stomp by, though, growling something about 'another meaning in the Greek' before HIS door slammed shut.
I walked over to my window and stared outside for a few moments, not seeing anything, my hand trembling slightly. Wondering how on earth I was going to convince Wufei to escape with me from this place ... because if what I thought was correct, we really didn't have much time at all ...