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Tapestry - Chapter 14
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A vague impression of approval and respect followed me as I walked out of Treize's room. I didn't understand where that came from, though. Blinking, I walked into the hallway and quickly to the stairs, thinking about images and impressions that seemed to float out of nowhere. Very bizarre.
Those thoughts were pushed out of my head, however, as soon as I walked down the stairs and through the main room. Une was there, of course, snapping orders to everyone willing to listen to her. I turned toward the bedrooms at the bottom of the staircase and practically ran to Wufei's room.
I knocked on his door and pushed into the room. "Wufei....?"
A large thump greeted me. "...Sally?..." he panted, staring at me from the patio.
"Yes, it's me, Wufei. I just went out for a walk."
He was shirtless, wearing loose, drawstring pants. I could see fine beads of sweat beaded on his forehead and on his chest; considering he kept himself in top condition, that meant he had been working long and hard that morning.
"How long have you been awake and training, Wufei?"
He was still breathing hard. "I ... I don't know how long," he panted. "But I've been training the entire time. What do you want?"
I knew Wufei; he really was asking what I wanted, without having to gloss it over with all the social niceties. "You know that the household's going to be leaving in an hour, so-"
".....it's nine already?" Shocked, he stared at me.
"Well, yes. There are people everywhere in this house, packing up all sorts of things. I have very little to pack, myself, so I was hoping I could help you."
Comic surprise flew across his face. " ... shit!" He stumbled through the doorway to his wardrobe, yanked some clothes off their hangers, pulled open a drawer and grabbed something from the top and jumped into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.
I looked at the closed door, rolled my eyes and sighed. Apparently, that meant yes.
Dragging suitcases out of his closet, I threw as many clothes as I could into them, methodically searching through every drawer and closet, packing quickly. It was odd - he had more clothes in this room than I'd ever owned in my life, but most of it wasn't anything he'd choose to wear. I stopped for a moment, looking at a black silk shirt with brilliant dragons snaking up each arm. I could see Wufei wearing this in my mind's eye, and he would look fabulous - Treize did have excellent taste - but ... it wasn't Wufei. At least, not the Wufei I knew.
He also had a weapons trunk at the foot of his bed. I lifted the lid and made sure that any special swords he had were packed correctly, closed and locked it, checked to make sure the locks were secure, and dragged that trunk to the middle of the room. Gads, it was heavy.
And I did not take any of the knives that were conveniently lying on top of the trunk. I resisted, knowing that was just too obvious. I mean, really - to be caught with those knives, traveling with Treize? He'd know where I found them in an instant, and that would be the end of my unsupervised visits to Wufei. Period. No questions or comments allowed. I'd probably find myself in a nice, uncomfortable cell, too.
No. There would be other opportunities. I simply needed to keep my eyes open and be ready.
Then I went to my room for a few minutes, packing the meager things I had - the gi, the sweater and pants set, the few pair of underwear and socks given to me and my shoes - including those sexy, strappy shoes Treize gave me for the opera. I dropped everything into a small bag that mysteriously appeared in my closet.
I shrugged. Well .. when in Rome ...
I also called Mrs. Grimm to see if she could deliver some tea and fresh fruit to Wufei's room. I knew that Wufei hadn't eaten this morning - after all, he did tell me he was up and training. In Wufei's mind, training came before food - and given the mood he was in now, I knew he hadn't eaten a thing. Food hadn't even entered the equation.
Wufei was standing next to the windows, looking outside, when I walked into his room again. He had lost a little of the wildness that propelled him into the bathroom, and was standing absolutely still, clad in a dark blue tunic and pants. He turned his head when he heard me come into the room and looked at me, his eyes dark and unfathomable.
"I called Mrs. Grimm and asked her to bring some tea and fruit to us," I said without preamble, walking over to his suitcase pile and putting my bag on the top. "I know you haven't eaten. You should eat something before we leave."
He looked as if he was going to protest, but then changed his mind and nodded.
"You've done this before, Wufei. How long is it going to take us to get ... ah ... to where we're going?"
"I'm not sure," he replied, shifting his weight from foot to foot, looking uncomfortable.
"Oh. All right," I said, a little puzzled. "That's fine. I was just wondering. I didn't know how long the flight was from here.."
Or even in which direction we'd be going. I sighed. It was bad enough we were being moved from one location to another - which was a good policy from the captor's perspective - but not very comfortable for me. Thinking about things that weren't comfortable tweaked my memory, and I remembered something I wanted to tell Wufei.
"Oh - and Wufei - Une is here. From all indications, she is coming with us, too."
"Of course she is. Treize trusts her above all else - she's utterly loyal to him. I think she'd shoot herself in the head if she thought that was what he wanted."
"Yes, I saw something like that this morning. Not the shooting part, however." A pity we couldn't arrange for that to happen today.
Quiet knocking drew my attention back to the door. "Here you are, dear," Mrs. Grimm called, pushing the tea trolley into the room. "But you must hurry - you're leaving in fifteen minutes."
"Oh, thank you, Mrs. Grimm - it's exactly what we needed."
Tsking to herself, Mrs. Grimm nodded at me, turned and shook her head as she rumbled into the hallway and back to the kitchen.
"We'll have to eat quickly, Wufei. You never know when you'll get the chance again today." I handed him the bowl of fruit, hoping he would pick something out of it, and not force me to choose for him.
"When Treize thinks we should," he replied, his tone much too even and much too calm, blinking slowly and pulling an apple from the basket. "That's when we'll eat again." He looked at the apple in his hand and bit into the fruit, almost as an afterthought.
I stopped pouring tea and just stared at him. That, without a doubt, was one of the most disturbing answers he could have given me. "To tell you the truth, Wufei - I - ah - never thought about things in quite that way." And I hoped to God I wouldn't start thinking that way, either; it was a little too scary to deal with right now.
He was silent for a few minutes, chewing. Then he looked at me. "Am I crazy?"
I started. "Well - no, Wufei, I don't think so."
"Why?"
I took a large sip of tea. "Because, to me you appear to be a perfectly normal young man in control of himself. You just have the misfortune to be the prisoner of a madman."
He raised his eyebrow at me. I looked back at him and shrugged. Well, it was true - no use denying what we both knew.
Insistent knocking at the door pulled my attention away from him. I put down my mug, pushed away from the table and answered the door. Several young soldiers were there, looking very formal and severe with guns slung over their shoulders, a luggage cart behind them in the hallway.
I opened the door a little wider, realizing they were there to pick up our bags. "Come in, please."
They appeared to stare right through me, and didn't even look at Wufei at all. Without any conversation, they came into the room, divided the luggage between themselves, grabbed either end of the weapons trunk and left. It took them about ten seconds to clear our belongings from the room.
I stared at them as they left. They were Treize's Specials, all right. So well trained that they wouldn't even acknowledge either one of us. Kept their mind on their business, and that was that. Very professional.
Gods. And there was a houseful of those people, surrounding us. All of them with very large guns. I suppressed a shiver.
Wufei seemed distracted, looking out the window toward the paddock. Gently, I tried to get his attention. "Are you ready?"
A fleeting, unsure expression darted across his face for a moment. Then he appeared to tighten his shoulders and slowly exhaled, still not looking at me. "Yes."
"Come on, then. We can't keep people waiting."
And we both knew who "people" meant.
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In a few minutes, we were outside the mansion, standing on the top step, looking at the limousine. Treize was standing on the steps, a little apart from the car, wearing the same expression he had when I spoke to him in the house; pensive, thoughtful, and analytical. That air of disappointment was still about him, too, as his gaze moved over to Wufei.
Wufei, for his part, didn't hesitate. He scowled and marched down the steps, right to the passenger door of the limonene, right in front of Treize.
Treize watched him walk down the steps, but did not follow. The general turned to me, smiled, and waved one hand graciously, indicating that I was to follow Wufei.
My muscles tensed, and I made a huge effort to control the expression on my face and slow my breathing as I walked down the steps after him. I wanted to appear as calm and cool as if I did this sort of thing - walking in front of my enemy, that is - every single day of my life. Part of me was sighing in relief, as well; if Treize indicated that I was to go with Wufei, then perhaps he wasn't going to ride in this car. That was just fine with me, too, as I realized I had been dreading a trip with both of them.
Walking in front of the predator was quite a bit different that actually sitting next to him. At least when you're walking, you think you have a chance at escape.
My attention turned to Wufei, though, as he stood outside the passenger door, scowling. "It's locked."
I blinked. That was odd - the doors had been open when I walked back to the house, not thirty minutes ago. Why on earth would someone lock the car here, of all places? Soldiers were literally marching everywhere, and there was no way someone would attempt to steal it.
Treize had followed me down the steps. Now he walked past me without a glance and strode right up to Wufei with that cold, analytical, assessing look in his eyes. He held out the keys, smiling, all the time looking steadily at Wufei.
This was weird. This wasn't right. It was some kind of test, I knew it - and there was nothing I could do. I felt the blood drain from my cheeks as I watched them, not saying a word.
Wufei looked up at Treize, slightly puzzled. Treize raised his eyebrow, waiting; it looked as though Wufei was supposed to take the keys from him, since he certainly wasn't making any effort to give them to Wufei. Looking extremely confused, the boy reached for the keys.
And the general, very deliberately, brushed Wufei's hand with his fingers, caressing his index finger and the back of his hand lightly, still watching him with that hyper analytical gaze.
Wufei reacted as if he had been bitten by a snake. He yanked his hand back with a little hiss of anger and glared at Treize; I thought he was going to bare his teeth and strike at the man.
Treize's eyebrows shot up; that, apparently, was a reaction that interested him.
"Don't - TOUCH ME!"
Now Treize's eyebrows went up further; that, coupled with what just happened, was even more interesting.
Glowering, Wufei seemed to realize he was holding the keys as a weapon, ready to strike. He turned and unlocked the car door, yanked it open, hurled the keys back at Treize's face, and scrambled into the depths of the back seat.
I stared at his back as he flung himself into the car, desperately hoping my face didn't give away my feelings. That was precisely the reaction Wufei should not have had. One glance at Treize was all it took to confirm my worst suspicions. His eyes were cold, assessing, weighing what he just witnessed on an invisible scale - and it seemed as if the scale had just tipped back in his favor.
He stepped back from the door, politely waiting for me to get in.
I toad a deep breath, bent and stepped into the car, sitting next to Wufei, praying that this episode was over.
It wasn't. Treize slid into the passenger seat directly across from us. He was riding with us to the airport, after all.
Depressing a button on the side of the seat, the general spoke softly into a nearly invisible speaker. "We're ready."
Gods. I couldn't help staring at him; luckily, he wasn't looking in my direction. My mouth felt as dry as dust, which was a strange contrast to the sickening cold, sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.
"Saa ... you're angry with me for something, Wufei." His tone was gentle, but his eyes held the same gleam as a scientist doing an experiment. Leaning forward and putting one hand on Wufei's knee, he seemed the picture of earnest entreaty. "Is there something you need to tell me?"
Wufei stared at him for a moment, then struck. If his hand had connected with Treize's arm, he surely would have broken the general's wrist. Treize, however, moved with a swiftness that made me blink.
"Do not touch me again. EVER." Wufei glared at him, spitting out each word with an even, deadly cadence. "I know what you're up to."
Now I wanted to melt back into the seat. Yes, this was absolutely the worst thing Wufei could have done, which was obvious from Treize's reaction.
That disappointed edge disappeared in an instant. "'Up to,' Wufei? And what, pray tell, might that be?"
Wufei was still glaring daggers at Treize, but now his face was suffused with color. "YOU know very well, Treize!"
"No, Wufei, I'm afraid I don't," he replied smoothly, leaning back against the leather upholstered seat, one eyebrow raised, looking slightly amused and terribly innocent. "Exactly what IS it you are accusing me of?"
Wufei's self-righteous anger slowly dissipated as his embarrassment increased. His flushed, glaring expression spoke volumes. " .... nothing," he muttered, glowering out the window.
"I hope you tell me sometime, Wufei." Treize's voice was a soft purr. He affected a slightly injured expression, taking in Wufei's state in one long glance. "I would hate to leave something ... undone ... between us."
Wufei opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it rapidly. He scowled, still flushed, and glowered at Treize.
The general tilted his head slightly to the side, giving Wufei a questioning look, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes, as if he honestly didn't know why Wufei was so distraught.
Wufei pointedly turned away from him and stared out the window again, blushing all the way to his ears, refusing to look back at Treize. He had definitely lost some of the impetus he had before.
Treize's expression changed again. His eyes narrowed a bit, and his smile looked slightly feline - pleased, in some way. And then he glanced at me.
I stared at him, trying to act nonchalant, but feeling as if a large, bright spotlight had just been turned on me. He knew. At the very least, he knew I was involved - but I wasn't deceiving myself. I was sure he knew, or guessed, what I did with Wufei; how I helped him see what was happening, what Treize was doing - everything. Oh, he knew, all right.
"Wufei," Treize said evenly. "Whatever I did - I'm sorry." There was no trace of amusement on his face; he was absolutely sincere.
Wufei turned toward Treize, blinked, and stared at him. "You're what?" he snapped.
"I'm sorry."
Wufei openly gaped at him. My mouth dropped open as well as I stared at him, not believing the audacity of the man.
"You're ... what ...?" Wufei was less sure of himself now and was still staring at Treize.
Sighing as though he was tired, Treize closed his eyes for a moment, then rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Wufei. I am sorry for whatever it is I have done to offend you. I assure you, it was not my intention." Pulling his hand away from his face, Treize looked at Wufei and continued, his voice lower, "Please do not make me repeat myself, as this is embarrassing enough." His body language conveyed his meaning, subtlety; that it was bad enough this misunderstanding had happened, but to have it happen in front of someone else - me - was doubly upsetting. However, he was man enough to endure that humiliation in order to make things right with Wufei.
Who, by the way, looked totally confused. Again. "But ..."
Treize held up one hand for silence, his expression almost stern. "Wufei. I will put up with any indignity from you, as I believe I have said your welfare is uppermost in my mind. But I have this simple request - do NOT hold things against me without first telling me what they are. I have no means to fix them, otherwise. Despite popular opinion, I am not psychic. Is that understood?"
Oh, this was painful to watch. His performance was priceless, of course, but there was an undercurrent in his words and actions, a subliminal message that was becoming clearer to me by the second. I challenged him, and now he was showing me what he could do with a few well-placed words, several small, intimate gestures. He was reasserting himself with Wufei; this was a small demonstration of what he could do when he focused on a problem.
Wufei shifted uncomfortably in his seat, a sullen, pouty expression on his face. Once glance at Treize - who was now looking back at him, slightly disapproving - sent his gaze scurrying away, back out the window.
"I don't understand you at all," he muttered, "and I'm not answering your question. If you don't know, it's a moot point. And if you do, then ... then ... never mind." His face was scarlet again from the neck up.
"Very well, Wufei," Treize sighed. "Let us put this behind us." At that point, Treize produced a manila folder, a pen and various papers from the storage bin built into the seat and started to work, not bothering to look at me at all.
Drooping, I watched him scratch out something across the top of several pages; he seemed to be concentrating intently on the information in front of him. He certainly wasn't looking at me, which was a blessing; I felt rather overwhelmed, as if I had just tried to stop the tide from moving up on the shore and claiming a sand castle built close to the surf. Impossible - but I had to try. I couldn't do anything less.
After a short silence, Treize did look at me. "Goodness, Sally, I am out of my mind. I am so sorry you had to witness that." He bowed to me slightly, as if apologizing for a recalcitrant child. "Hopefully, there won't be a repeat incident. Would you like some tea?"
I stared at him, a familiar, if odd, feeling stealing over me. This was just ... surreal.
He looked back at me, calm and possessed, a tiny, knowing smile on his lips.
Forcing my mouth to work, I stammered, "I .. I would, thank you."
He looked pleased; and my sixth sense, that feeling that kept me alive and moving on more than one occassion, told me why. He had pushed hard enough that I had reacted; not much, true, but enough to be noticeable, which was more than he had been able to evoke previously.
He reached into the cabinet again, produced a steaming decanter and a travel mug and poured a large cup for me. "Of course. I was sure to bring some of your favorites, according to Mrs. Grimm. Here you are, Ms. Po."
"Thank you," I said faintly, accepting the mug in hands that were suddenly ice cold.
Treize smiled at me, his fingertips brushing the backs of my hands. My eyes widened at that, and my gaze jerked up to his. He grinned at me; mocking, teasing, I couldn't tell which - but his expression certainly didn't have the same character as the one he used with Wufei.
You're not his type - remember? that little sardonic voice inside my head mocked. What, you forgot already?
"Tea, Wufei?" A perfectly innocent question -
"How can you OFFER me that?" he snapped, scowling.
Treize sighed again. "I'm sorry, Sally. We seem to have ... regressed today, for some reason. Saa, perhaps it's the weather ..."
Wufei hunched his shoulders and looked steadfastly out the window, watching the scenery.
"I ... well ... it's rather nice outside, if a bit chilly .."
I watched Treize deftly pour another mug, add milk and sweetener, then lean forward, holding the cup out for Wufei to take, knowing he could see it out of the corner of his eye.
Wufei didn't move at all. In fact, his response was to give Treize a look that was a cross between blatant disbelief and curiosity.
Treize gently tapped Wufei's knee with the mug, very innocently getting his attention. "Well ...?"
I nearly spilled my own tea when I saw that move. Looking confused, Wufei considered him for a long moment, then leaned forward and accepted the mug, holding it as if it was a snake.
The general sighed, leaned back into his seat and went back to work, seemingly mollified. He was even smiling to himself.
Now Wufei glanced at Treize with a look that mingled confusion and hatred in equal parts, the mug squarely in his hands, untouched.
And I felt thrown completely off balance. I drank my tea - perfectly brewed, by the way - and concentrated on my breathing. In, out. In, out. Calming. Peaceful, even though my thoughts were in turmoil. All my careful work with Wufei? - gone. Any planning? - done. Finished.
~Saa ... just a challenge for you, Ms. Po. Not up to it?~
Gods. I thought I was going to spill my tea for a second time - but this time, it would have been the mug and all slipping out of my nerveless hands onto the floor. I surreptitiously glanced at Treize's face; he wasn't even looking at me, he was concentrating on his work. He hadn't said anything to me. I had imagined it.
Or had I? Pursing my lips, I thought about it. During my childhood, I had sworn up and down to my parents that I could hear what other people were thinking; but repetitions of, 'Sally Po, you're just imagining things' squelched that. Gradually, the voices fell away.
Well. I had no idea what I was hearing, but anyone who challenged me deserved an answer. I sniffed, thinking I never back away from a challenge, having no idea if I was thinking just to myself, the air ... or to something else.
There was a weird feeling of satisfaction around me, almost like a vibration. I looked over at Treize - he seemed to be very pleased with whatever he was reading, because this little smile just touched his lips.
I leaned back and stared out the window, hoping that we would get to the airport soon.
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If I thought the ride from the mansion to the airport was tense, well - it turned out to be mild compared to the ordeal of the actual flight to the island.
First, I had no idea we would be flying in a military helicopter. I had flown in them, of course, during my time in the service, and each and every time I disliked it. They were heavy, ponderous things that dipped and swirled with the air currents; the reason the military used them was twofold. They could transport a large number of troops efficiently, and they could land practically anywhere. No landing strip needed for them.
When I saw the machine as we pulled onto the tarmac, my heart sank. I knew this was not going to be an easy ride for me at all. It was one of those black, sleek copters that always make people paranoid when they see them.
Treize got out first, of course, then held the door open for me and even took my hand as I stepped out, acting like the perfect gentlemen. Wufei, however, opened the door on the other side of the limo himself and got out of the car. He gave me a lofty look over the top of the limo - and since he was short, that meant I could only see his eyes and the top of his head.
Really, it was hard to look lofty when you were short. I looked back at him and smiled, schooling myself not to laugh at him. Wufei raised one eyebrow, appearing to be questioning and lofty at the same time - but he looked too cute to be arrogant.
I heard a soft chuckle, and glanced behind me at Treize. He seemed amused by Wufei as well, and looked at him as he marched around the side of the car.
"Well?" the former gundam pilot demanded, glaring up at Treize.
Another soft chuckle. "This way, please."
Treize turned and walked toward the helicopter, Wufei close behind him. I followed them - not quite lagging behind, but certainly not enthusiastic, either. I really was NOT looking forward to this ride in the least - even though I piloted smaller craft, which were supposed to be less stable, I disliked riding in these machines. As a pilot, you had no control over your controls at all, except on takeoff and touchdown - and I liked feeling at least nominally in control.
Treize strode across the tarmac to the aircraft. Soldiers inside the helicopter opened the large bay doors and pushed a small ladder out the side of the craft, then snapped to attention, waiting for him to board. The general nodded to them, and turned back to watch both Wufei and me approach.
Wufei seemed to be disdainful of his surroundings, focusing only on the path in front of him. He strode right behind Treize, his head held high, his eyes narrowed, and stopped about a meter from the machine. He turned and looked at me as well.
I was uncomfortably aware of what now seemed to be EVERYone on the tarmac watching me walk up to the helicopter. Looking up at Treize, I saw an expression that was at once appealing and terrifying; he had what I found myself calling 'that cat smile' playing around his lips, and his eyes ... gah. He was back to playing, I suppose.
Treize gestured for me to precede him into the helicopter.
"Thank you," I said faintly, looking up at the men on board. They all had guns. Large guns. Every single one of them.
"You're very welcome, Ms. Po," he purred as he waited for me to climb the ladder.
I started to climb, and one of the soldiers bent down and offered me his hand to pull me up and into the machine. It was rather high, and I was grateful for the help. I was pulled into the doorway, and stood, waiting for Treize, surrounded by large military men with larger guns.
Next, Treize turned to Wufei. As the boy was climbing the ladder, Treize put his hand on the small of his back to help him up. Wufei stiffened, but that was all; his expression was one of stoic endurance, a concentrated effort not to react to Treize's touch. Treize, however, looked as though he was trying not to laugh as he followed Wufei up the ladder and into the belly of the aircraft.
I looked around, hoping I could find a seat where I wouldn't get sick from the motion. A sea of military fatigues surrounded me; it was obvious that all these people were Specials, members of Treize's elite team. The last time I saw so many military people was when I took the shuttle from the colonies back to Earth after I had transferred myself out of Septem's squad; and that, really, was not a pleasant memory.
Treize walked easily to the far corner of the copter, where there were several padded, comfortable seats facing each other. "Who wants the window?" he asked, a teasing tone to his voice.
I realized that even though he hadn't specifically said anything, he was referring to me. My palms were sweating a little. "Thank you," I murmured, and moved to the seat at the window.
Treize nodded - and almost immediately, several large, burly men took every seat surrounding mine. I could hardly see around them, they were so big. Alarmed, I half rose out of my seat, looking for Wufei, realizing that Treize trapped me there, alone, on purpose.
"Come along, Wufei," I heard him say. "We sit up front." And he walked off, expecting Wufei to follow him.
Wufei and I stared at each other around the wall of soldiers; his lofty, superior look had been replaced by one that was genuinely spooked. His eyes were huge and dark and his face was pale, completely washed out.
"...we ..." he started, still staring at me.
I nodded at him, resigned. Treize had outmaneuvered both of us - again. Now that he knew that I tried to sabotage his efforts with Wufei, I assumed he was gong to try to keep us apart as much as possible. It had been a possible consequence of my actions - and one that I, admittedly, hadn't considered. Well, I was paying for it now - and so was Wufei.
"Come along, Wufei." Treize's voice hissed over the intercom, barely audible over the noise of the rotors. "You must be seated before we can leave."
An absolutely trapped looked covered Wufei's face as he turned to move to the front of the vessel. He had no choice and he knew it - if he didn't go there willingly, there were plenty of large soldier types who would be happy to escort him to the general.
Gods. I hated this already. Buckling my seat belt, I leaned my head against the window and prayed that these huge, no-necked Specials would just go away and leave me alone for the next three hours or so.
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Well, actually, that's exactly what the soldiers did. They didn't go away, but they were professionals, and they left me alone. We sat there - several very large, burly, armed to the teeth men, and me - and said not a word to each other. For a very long period of time.
I had been leaning against the window with my eyes closed. I sighed, stretched, opened my eyes - and saw Treize sitting across from me, smiling.
I started. Badly. I hadn't even heard the soldier move, let along Treize move in and take his place.
"I'm sorry to have left you back here, Sally," he said softly, leaning forward. "But there are only two seats up in the command section, and I felt I needed to deal with his attitude now, rather than permit it to fester. He still hasn't told me what has him so upset."
Right. I could see how sorry he was to dump me here, in the midst of these musclebound Neanderthals. I narrowed my eyes, the only concession I gave to the anger and disbelief that flared through me without warning. "I see," I murmured in reply, hoping my tone was indifferent. With any luck, Wufei would tell him exactly nothing.
Treize favored me with a small smile and leaned forward a little more. "Don't worry," he said quietly, his voice pitched low, carrying only to my ears. "You get plenty of time alone with him as it is, and I don't really want to break him - ne?"
I stared at him, nonplused, my eyes widening slightly. No. I must have misunderstood. He couldn't have said -
"He has to learn he's not in a free situation," Treize continued, speaking just a little louder, conversationally. "Of course, I've been told how foolish this all is - taking you both in, trying my own hand to reform you - "
Gods. No. Did he say that? I swallowed, staring right at him, feeling the blood drain away from my cheeks, trying to follow what he was saying.
" -but I do - and will, no matter what anyone says - believe in the inherent goodness of man. I want to foster that, bring that out. Can that be so wrong?" Treize was looking at me, his face suffused with a passionate blaze, appealing. I felt myself drawn to him as I had never been drawn to any other speaker before; I had to make a conscious effort to disassociate myself and pull back, blinking.
The soldiers around me, though, were obviously affected in the same way I was - but were not disassociating. I could feel them responding, giving off this sense, this feeling of awe just listening to him. It was spooky, and a little scary.
"But ... perhaps I'm being too harsh. Perhaps I should have become a father sooner. It might have helped me to prepare for this."
"Perhaps," I said guardedly. "People with children tend to want the best for them."
"Exactly!" he nodded, beaming. "I want the best for him - for you! For all of us. And who am I to decide such a thing, you wonder?" His voice took on a haunted quality as he stared at his hands. "I don't have the answer to that - but I will not throw away the gift that has been given to me. I do want the best for him ... and for you. And for that, I believe I MUST be harsh, to some degree. Do you understand?" He lifted his gaze to mine, pinning me neatly with his stare, not allowing mine to drop without responding to him in some manner.
And gods, he was strong. "I ... try to understand, Treize..."
He nodded with a fervent, grateful, look, and touched my knee. "Thank you," he said, sincerely. "Please forgive me if I ever go too far."
The soldier sitting to my left cleared his throat; not an obvious noise, but disapproving all the same, making it clear that it was beneath the general to be seen touching a prisoner like me - someone who was considered a vigilante. "Ah - of course," I murmured, I said, looking from the soldier to Treize, acutely aware of the cramped space between us.
Treize gave a mild look at that soldier. "This woman is paying her debt to society, Braun," he said evenly. "I will not have her treated as a criminal. Is that clear?"
Braun nodded, his lips tight.
Giving me an impassioned look, Treize said, "I will come back with some lunch and tea in a bit - unless you'd prefer to wait, and take it with Wufei and me?"
"Whatever is most convenient for you, Treize," I replied, automatic. I certainly didn't want to give these soldiers any other reason to hate me. They already hated me as it was. Treize had just singled out one of them because of me, and I knew the way they thought - they would NOT forget that. Not only that, Treize had set himself up as my protector, so they couldn't even retaliate as they'd like.
He nodded, and gave my knee another grateful squeeze. "Take care." Looking at the soldiers surrounding me, he admonished, "And you take good care OF her."
Treize left, walking back to the command section of the helicopter. The tension after he was gone was palpable. Every single soldier stared at me, anger glaring from their eyes. Not a single one spoke, and every one eyed me with complete and total disapproval, as though I was an insect they should crush underfoot. The general was obviously much too kind and generous for his own good, associating with people like me.
The atmosphere was suffocating. I wished something would open up and swallow me whole. That horrid man knew what he did; he knew what affect he had on people, and he knew what kind of situation he left me in. He was simply paying me back for what I did with Wufei, and he was extremely thorough at anything he did. It was a lesson I would not soon forget.
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An hour and a half went by. By this time, I was extremely hungry, but I said absolutely nothing. I wasn't going to give anyone the satisfaction of letting them know I actually needed something. I had my pride, after all.
A soldier walked back and whispered into the ear of the man across from me. He scowled and glared at me. "Come on," he said, reaching out and pulling me to my feet, none too gently. "The general wants to see you."
Fortunately, the space was cramped. I was a little unsteady - had there been more room, I probably would have fallen down again. As it was, I simply tottered a little and stayed upright, then was pulled after my escort to the front of the helicopter. I stumbled a bit - I wasn't used to walking in the cramped aisles, across all the guns.
Once we reached the front, it was obvious, too, that someone had to vacate their seat to for me to have a space to sit. I felt vague satisfaction at that, too. Hah, good. Those nasty Specials can just stand for all I care.
But it was the arguing that caught my attention right away.
"No - because then you have nothing," Wufei said, heated.
"But based on what, Wufei? Surely you have a reason."
"... because ..."
"I don't see it in daily life. Do you?"
I walked over to my seat and stood there, looking at both Wufei and Treize, deep in the throws of whatever argument they were in at the moment. Treize was sitting back, his fingers steepled, his eyes fixed on Wufei, gleaming; and Wufei, for his part, was glowering at Treize, not even looking at me.
"Other people do ... even if I don't, then -"
"They think they do. They also see love, ghosts, angels, aliens ..." With a negligent wave of his hand, Treize waved me to my seat as he kept his gaze on Wufei.
"People have a NEED for it!"
"...and?"
"and if ... if it was unnecessary ... then that need would have been weeded out a long time ago."
"Ah. So. Then beauty IS a proof?"
Wufei looked shocked. "... shit."
Treize laughed. "Checkmate, my dear boy. And you can certainly do better - that would be Duo's solution."
Wufei gave Treize a sharp glare, but remained silent.
"Come now, Wufei," Treize said softly. "A better answer."
" ... men have a need for God, as well - and yet you say He does not exist."
Treize smiled. "An excellent answer. So - does need presuppose existence?"
As Wufei took a slow breath, thinking, Treize handed me a capped travel mug, filled to the brim with hot tea. "And how are you, Ms. Po?" he asked, smiling. "I hope my men are treating you well."
I gave him a dry look and accepted the mug. "Ah, well - they're quite attentive, all things considered. But I'm sure that's the way they were trained."
"Well," Treize replied with almost a bashful look, "I trained them myself."
" ... I'm ... not sure," Wufei said, continuing his thought, his brow knit, not looking up. Both Treize and I looked over at him. "I think ... really ... that it goes back to whether one even accepts the presupposition of evolution being the be-all and and-all determiner."
"Excellent, Wufei." Treize beamed at him. "And with that, we shall break for lunch."
Wufei sighed, as though he had just put down weights he had been lifting and blinked at me. "Hello, Sally."
I smiled at him. "Hello, Wufei."
He didn't seem to have anything else to say, either; he looked exhausted.
"We were discussing the existence of justice," Treize mentioned casually as he handed me a sandwich.
"Oh?" I said, trying to hide my surprise. "Whether or not it exists? Or whether it exists for some?"
"Ah - well. If there is to be a subject discussed, the issue at hand must be defined. Then, it must be traced to its source. Otherwise, just semantically, we could be discussing two different things. Wufei and I have been struggling to find a single, usable definition - one that applies cross culturally, and not according to situational ethics. We must define it according to the human need."
I thought for a moment. "Well. You can certainly understand what you do not believe to be justice, but that does not necessarily mean that everything not in that category is justice. I, on the one hand, believe that justice is a rare thing - whereas you may see justice all around you."
"Interesting," Treize said, leaning back. "And how do you define it? Is it subjective or objective?"
Well, I knew I shouldn't have said anything, but I said something anyway; plus, it didn't appear as if Treize was leaping down my throat at this point. He appeared calmly interested; very laid back, pleased with the conversation; so I continued.
"We like to believe we are being objective when putting systems in place - for example, the justice system that exists today. We choose penalties for transgressions, weight them, and try to mitigate the chastisement with mercy when possible."
"So - are you saying that justice exists in the courtroom?"
I gave Treize an even look. "No. I've said no such thing."
"Ah, sou - forgive me. Continue." He sipped his tea and watched me.
"Even when we are choosing what actions deserve punishment and which do not, we believe we are being objective. But are we?"
"That would be my question," Treize observed, smiling. "And if we are subjective ... then can there BE something called 'justice?' It would simply be 'opinion.' Or so we have been debating."
"Possibly, though there are intrinsic pieces that must be considered. For example - do people have a fundamental right to liberty? or is that a privilege granted to them by parties in power?"
Wufei was silent during this exchange, eating his lunch, watching both of us.
"An excellent question - and you see why we must define these things, especially since the concept seems to differ from culture to culture."
I smiled. "That depends, of course, under which political system one lives."
Treize nodded. "Exactly. So - conclusions? Have you any?"
"Well - should you have the misfortune to live under a despot, your liberty is not your own."
"Depending, of course, on how one defines liberty. There are those who define it as 'the right to act according to the laws of your people.'"
I nodded, conceding his point. "Yes, that is true. So does that mean that the majority rules? or do you try to attain consensus? or use coalitions?"
Treize looked thrilled, his eyes gleaming. "Ah, yes, but Ms. Po - in any of those cases you just mentioned, you are using one very basic assumption."
I felt caught, but I couldn't see the trap. "And that is ...?"
He smiled, his eyes sparkling at me. "That man even has rights. You assume it because you enjoy them - you wish for them. We all do. But on what basis can we possibly claim to have them? I am not saying we don't have them - I am asking. What do you think, Ms. Po?"
I stared at him for a moment, gathering my wits. "Conversely ... on what basis can we claim NOT to have them?"
"Because we decide what has them and what does not on a regular basis. We have reasons, such as sentience, to govern our decisions. Dogs have rights. Grass does not. But on what do we decide even that? We wish and argue for rights because we desire them. But that - means little."
I swallowed. "If I understand you correctly - you are saying that what I take to be a fundamental right - my right to exist - may not be a right at all. Is that correct?"
Treize nodded. "Correct. After all, the assumption that you have rights assumes such a thing as free will - and we tend to define this because we WANT them. Is it possible to look objectively, rather than subjectively, at such things? They determine how we behave - but only if we act on what we believe - ne?
And there was the dangerous ground, right in front of me. Quicksand - and there was no way around it. I could do nothing but tell the exact truth, the way I saw it.
"Unfortunately, I do not see any other way to act," I said quietly. "Acting on one's beliefs seems to be the most - honest - way of dealing with life."
Treize looked at me and gave me a small smile. I don't know how I could tell, but it was a much more appreciative smile than I had seen in the entire time I had been under his care.
"And that is what I like about you, Ms. Po," he said softly, his eyes bright. "You are ... honest."
I shrugged. "I cannot be something I am not, Treize."
"Of course not - most of us cannot. Those who act in a way they do not believe are doomed to fail. It is - a weakness."
Wufei looked up sharply and stared at Treize, his face pale - in fact, he looked rather upset. Treize, though, did not appear to notice, and was looking directly at me, smiling.
I blinked, and turned Treize's last phrase over in my mind again. Belatedly, I heard Trowa's words of yesterday in my mind and considered the impact of what Treize just said on Wufei's psyche. As I turned toward Wufei, Treize was one step ahead of me, concern lacing through his words as he looked over and said, "Wufei ... are you all right?"
But Wufei wasn't there. He had already left his seat and was pushing his way to the back of the vessel.
Treize sighed and looked back at me. "He has so much conflict."
I could barely speak, staring in blind anger at the general, realizing how he had used me yet again to get to Wufei. "He ..."
Nodding, Treize continued. "Yes, I know, he will tear himself apart. I do not think he believes in justice, Ms. Po. And yet ... he came here to find it, poor child. I can see why there was a war. So many people are so confused ..."
"That is true. So many of them are so confused because the truth of things is deliberately obscured," I snapped, staring at him, not bothering to hide what I felt. "They don't appreciate the truth because they cannot see it for the clutter thrown in their way."
Treize nodded, his eyes closed, a pensive, beautiful look on his face. Opening his eyes, he looked right at me. "I want to help him - and, I believe, so do you. I wish I could help them all."
I heard muttering from the cockpit behind me; turning, I saw the soldiers not concentrating on the instrumentation glaring at me, muttering about how some people don't deserve all the help they're being given. I whirled back to look at Treize; controlling my glare, I realized I had just been given yet another little demonstration.
Right. Least I forget, he had trained them ALL. Every single one of them belonged to him. Gods.
"How close are we, gentlemen?"
"About fifteen minutes, sir."
"Ah." Treize nodded, then smiled at me. "Perhaps we should all go back to our seats? I'll go and tell Wufei." He patted me on my shoulder as he passed me on the way to the aft section of the helicopter.
I sighed, got up from my seat, and slowly tripped back to my original seat with all the large, loyal, male soldiers. Feh, feh, feh.
*^*^*^*^*^*
Tapestry - Chapter 14
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A vague impression of approval and respect followed me as I walked out of Treize's room. I didn't understand where that came from, though. Blinking, I walked into the hallway and quickly to the stairs, thinking about images and impressions that seemed to float out of nowhere. Very bizarre.
Those thoughts were pushed out of my head, however, as soon as I walked down the stairs and through the main room. Une was there, of course, snapping orders to everyone willing to listen to her. I turned toward the bedrooms at the bottom of the staircase and practically ran to Wufei's room.
I knocked on his door and pushed into the room. "Wufei....?"
A large thump greeted me. "...Sally?..." he panted, staring at me from the patio.
"Yes, it's me, Wufei. I just went out for a walk."
He was shirtless, wearing loose, drawstring pants. I could see fine beads of sweat beaded on his forehead and on his chest; considering he kept himself in top condition, that meant he had been working long and hard that morning.
"How long have you been awake and training, Wufei?"
He was still breathing hard. "I ... I don't know how long," he panted. "But I've been training the entire time. What do you want?"
I knew Wufei; he really was asking what I wanted, without having to gloss it over with all the social niceties. "You know that the household's going to be leaving in an hour, so-"
".....it's nine already?" Shocked, he stared at me.
"Well, yes. There are people everywhere in this house, packing up all sorts of things. I have very little to pack, myself, so I was hoping I could help you."
Comic surprise flew across his face. " ... shit!" He stumbled through the doorway to his wardrobe, yanked some clothes off their hangers, pulled open a drawer and grabbed something from the top and jumped into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.
I looked at the closed door, rolled my eyes and sighed. Apparently, that meant yes.
Dragging suitcases out of his closet, I threw as many clothes as I could into them, methodically searching through every drawer and closet, packing quickly. It was odd - he had more clothes in this room than I'd ever owned in my life, but most of it wasn't anything he'd choose to wear. I stopped for a moment, looking at a black silk shirt with brilliant dragons snaking up each arm. I could see Wufei wearing this in my mind's eye, and he would look fabulous - Treize did have excellent taste - but ... it wasn't Wufei. At least, not the Wufei I knew.
He also had a weapons trunk at the foot of his bed. I lifted the lid and made sure that any special swords he had were packed correctly, closed and locked it, checked to make sure the locks were secure, and dragged that trunk to the middle of the room. Gads, it was heavy.
And I did not take any of the knives that were conveniently lying on top of the trunk. I resisted, knowing that was just too obvious. I mean, really - to be caught with those knives, traveling with Treize? He'd know where I found them in an instant, and that would be the end of my unsupervised visits to Wufei. Period. No questions or comments allowed. I'd probably find myself in a nice, uncomfortable cell, too.
No. There would be other opportunities. I simply needed to keep my eyes open and be ready.
Then I went to my room for a few minutes, packing the meager things I had - the gi, the sweater and pants set, the few pair of underwear and socks given to me and my shoes - including those sexy, strappy shoes Treize gave me for the opera. I dropped everything into a small bag that mysteriously appeared in my closet.
I shrugged. Well .. when in Rome ...
I also called Mrs. Grimm to see if she could deliver some tea and fresh fruit to Wufei's room. I knew that Wufei hadn't eaten this morning - after all, he did tell me he was up and training. In Wufei's mind, training came before food - and given the mood he was in now, I knew he hadn't eaten a thing. Food hadn't even entered the equation.
Wufei was standing next to the windows, looking outside, when I walked into his room again. He had lost a little of the wildness that propelled him into the bathroom, and was standing absolutely still, clad in a dark blue tunic and pants. He turned his head when he heard me come into the room and looked at me, his eyes dark and unfathomable.
"I called Mrs. Grimm and asked her to bring some tea and fruit to us," I said without preamble, walking over to his suitcase pile and putting my bag on the top. "I know you haven't eaten. You should eat something before we leave."
He looked as if he was going to protest, but then changed his mind and nodded.
"You've done this before, Wufei. How long is it going to take us to get ... ah ... to where we're going?"
"I'm not sure," he replied, shifting his weight from foot to foot, looking uncomfortable.
"Oh. All right," I said, a little puzzled. "That's fine. I was just wondering. I didn't know how long the flight was from here.."
Or even in which direction we'd be going. I sighed. It was bad enough we were being moved from one location to another - which was a good policy from the captor's perspective - but not very comfortable for me. Thinking about things that weren't comfortable tweaked my memory, and I remembered something I wanted to tell Wufei.
"Oh - and Wufei - Une is here. From all indications, she is coming with us, too."
"Of course she is. Treize trusts her above all else - she's utterly loyal to him. I think she'd shoot herself in the head if she thought that was what he wanted."
"Yes, I saw something like that this morning. Not the shooting part, however." A pity we couldn't arrange for that to happen today.
Quiet knocking drew my attention back to the door. "Here you are, dear," Mrs. Grimm called, pushing the tea trolley into the room. "But you must hurry - you're leaving in fifteen minutes."
"Oh, thank you, Mrs. Grimm - it's exactly what we needed."
Tsking to herself, Mrs. Grimm nodded at me, turned and shook her head as she rumbled into the hallway and back to the kitchen.
"We'll have to eat quickly, Wufei. You never know when you'll get the chance again today." I handed him the bowl of fruit, hoping he would pick something out of it, and not force me to choose for him.
"When Treize thinks we should," he replied, his tone much too even and much too calm, blinking slowly and pulling an apple from the basket. "That's when we'll eat again." He looked at the apple in his hand and bit into the fruit, almost as an afterthought.
I stopped pouring tea and just stared at him. That, without a doubt, was one of the most disturbing answers he could have given me. "To tell you the truth, Wufei - I - ah - never thought about things in quite that way." And I hoped to God I wouldn't start thinking that way, either; it was a little too scary to deal with right now.
He was silent for a few minutes, chewing. Then he looked at me. "Am I crazy?"
I started. "Well - no, Wufei, I don't think so."
"Why?"
I took a large sip of tea. "Because, to me you appear to be a perfectly normal young man in control of himself. You just have the misfortune to be the prisoner of a madman."
He raised his eyebrow at me. I looked back at him and shrugged. Well, it was true - no use denying what we both knew.
Insistent knocking at the door pulled my attention away from him. I put down my mug, pushed away from the table and answered the door. Several young soldiers were there, looking very formal and severe with guns slung over their shoulders, a luggage cart behind them in the hallway.
I opened the door a little wider, realizing they were there to pick up our bags. "Come in, please."
They appeared to stare right through me, and didn't even look at Wufei at all. Without any conversation, they came into the room, divided the luggage between themselves, grabbed either end of the weapons trunk and left. It took them about ten seconds to clear our belongings from the room.
I stared at them as they left. They were Treize's Specials, all right. So well trained that they wouldn't even acknowledge either one of us. Kept their mind on their business, and that was that. Very professional.
Gods. And there was a houseful of those people, surrounding us. All of them with very large guns. I suppressed a shiver.
Wufei seemed distracted, looking out the window toward the paddock. Gently, I tried to get his attention. "Are you ready?"
A fleeting, unsure expression darted across his face for a moment. Then he appeared to tighten his shoulders and slowly exhaled, still not looking at me. "Yes."
"Come on, then. We can't keep people waiting."
And we both knew who "people" meant.
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In a few minutes, we were outside the mansion, standing on the top step, looking at the limousine. Treize was standing on the steps, a little apart from the car, wearing the same expression he had when I spoke to him in the house; pensive, thoughtful, and analytical. That air of disappointment was still about him, too, as his gaze moved over to Wufei.
Wufei, for his part, didn't hesitate. He scowled and marched down the steps, right to the passenger door of the limonene, right in front of Treize.
Treize watched him walk down the steps, but did not follow. The general turned to me, smiled, and waved one hand graciously, indicating that I was to follow Wufei.
My muscles tensed, and I made a huge effort to control the expression on my face and slow my breathing as I walked down the steps after him. I wanted to appear as calm and cool as if I did this sort of thing - walking in front of my enemy, that is - every single day of my life. Part of me was sighing in relief, as well; if Treize indicated that I was to go with Wufei, then perhaps he wasn't going to ride in this car. That was just fine with me, too, as I realized I had been dreading a trip with both of them.
Walking in front of the predator was quite a bit different that actually sitting next to him. At least when you're walking, you think you have a chance at escape.
My attention turned to Wufei, though, as he stood outside the passenger door, scowling. "It's locked."
I blinked. That was odd - the doors had been open when I walked back to the house, not thirty minutes ago. Why on earth would someone lock the car here, of all places? Soldiers were literally marching everywhere, and there was no way someone would attempt to steal it.
Treize had followed me down the steps. Now he walked past me without a glance and strode right up to Wufei with that cold, analytical, assessing look in his eyes. He held out the keys, smiling, all the time looking steadily at Wufei.
This was weird. This wasn't right. It was some kind of test, I knew it - and there was nothing I could do. I felt the blood drain from my cheeks as I watched them, not saying a word.
Wufei looked up at Treize, slightly puzzled. Treize raised his eyebrow, waiting; it looked as though Wufei was supposed to take the keys from him, since he certainly wasn't making any effort to give them to Wufei. Looking extremely confused, the boy reached for the keys.
And the general, very deliberately, brushed Wufei's hand with his fingers, caressing his index finger and the back of his hand lightly, still watching him with that hyper analytical gaze.
Wufei reacted as if he had been bitten by a snake. He yanked his hand back with a little hiss of anger and glared at Treize; I thought he was going to bare his teeth and strike at the man.
Treize's eyebrows shot up; that, apparently, was a reaction that interested him.
"Don't - TOUCH ME!"
Now Treize's eyebrows went up further; that, coupled with what just happened, was even more interesting.
Glowering, Wufei seemed to realize he was holding the keys as a weapon, ready to strike. He turned and unlocked the car door, yanked it open, hurled the keys back at Treize's face, and scrambled into the depths of the back seat.
I stared at his back as he flung himself into the car, desperately hoping my face didn't give away my feelings. That was precisely the reaction Wufei should not have had. One glance at Treize was all it took to confirm my worst suspicions. His eyes were cold, assessing, weighing what he just witnessed on an invisible scale - and it seemed as if the scale had just tipped back in his favor.
He stepped back from the door, politely waiting for me to get in.
I toad a deep breath, bent and stepped into the car, sitting next to Wufei, praying that this episode was over.
It wasn't. Treize slid into the passenger seat directly across from us. He was riding with us to the airport, after all.
Depressing a button on the side of the seat, the general spoke softly into a nearly invisible speaker. "We're ready."
Gods. I couldn't help staring at him; luckily, he wasn't looking in my direction. My mouth felt as dry as dust, which was a strange contrast to the sickening cold, sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.
"Saa ... you're angry with me for something, Wufei." His tone was gentle, but his eyes held the same gleam as a scientist doing an experiment. Leaning forward and putting one hand on Wufei's knee, he seemed the picture of earnest entreaty. "Is there something you need to tell me?"
Wufei stared at him for a moment, then struck. If his hand had connected with Treize's arm, he surely would have broken the general's wrist. Treize, however, moved with a swiftness that made me blink.
"Do not touch me again. EVER." Wufei glared at him, spitting out each word with an even, deadly cadence. "I know what you're up to."
Now I wanted to melt back into the seat. Yes, this was absolutely the worst thing Wufei could have done, which was obvious from Treize's reaction.
That disappointed edge disappeared in an instant. "'Up to,' Wufei? And what, pray tell, might that be?"
Wufei was still glaring daggers at Treize, but now his face was suffused with color. "YOU know very well, Treize!"
"No, Wufei, I'm afraid I don't," he replied smoothly, leaning back against the leather upholstered seat, one eyebrow raised, looking slightly amused and terribly innocent. "Exactly what IS it you are accusing me of?"
Wufei's self-righteous anger slowly dissipated as his embarrassment increased. His flushed, glaring expression spoke volumes. " .... nothing," he muttered, glowering out the window.
"I hope you tell me sometime, Wufei." Treize's voice was a soft purr. He affected a slightly injured expression, taking in Wufei's state in one long glance. "I would hate to leave something ... undone ... between us."
Wufei opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it rapidly. He scowled, still flushed, and glowered at Treize.
The general tilted his head slightly to the side, giving Wufei a questioning look, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes, as if he honestly didn't know why Wufei was so distraught.
Wufei pointedly turned away from him and stared out the window again, blushing all the way to his ears, refusing to look back at Treize. He had definitely lost some of the impetus he had before.
Treize's expression changed again. His eyes narrowed a bit, and his smile looked slightly feline - pleased, in some way. And then he glanced at me.
I stared at him, trying to act nonchalant, but feeling as if a large, bright spotlight had just been turned on me. He knew. At the very least, he knew I was involved - but I wasn't deceiving myself. I was sure he knew, or guessed, what I did with Wufei; how I helped him see what was happening, what Treize was doing - everything. Oh, he knew, all right.
"Wufei," Treize said evenly. "Whatever I did - I'm sorry." There was no trace of amusement on his face; he was absolutely sincere.
Wufei turned toward Treize, blinked, and stared at him. "You're what?" he snapped.
"I'm sorry."
Wufei openly gaped at him. My mouth dropped open as well as I stared at him, not believing the audacity of the man.
"You're ... what ...?" Wufei was less sure of himself now and was still staring at Treize.
Sighing as though he was tired, Treize closed his eyes for a moment, then rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Wufei. I am sorry for whatever it is I have done to offend you. I assure you, it was not my intention." Pulling his hand away from his face, Treize looked at Wufei and continued, his voice lower, "Please do not make me repeat myself, as this is embarrassing enough." His body language conveyed his meaning, subtlety; that it was bad enough this misunderstanding had happened, but to have it happen in front of someone else - me - was doubly upsetting. However, he was man enough to endure that humiliation in order to make things right with Wufei.
Who, by the way, looked totally confused. Again. "But ..."
Treize held up one hand for silence, his expression almost stern. "Wufei. I will put up with any indignity from you, as I believe I have said your welfare is uppermost in my mind. But I have this simple request - do NOT hold things against me without first telling me what they are. I have no means to fix them, otherwise. Despite popular opinion, I am not psychic. Is that understood?"
Oh, this was painful to watch. His performance was priceless, of course, but there was an undercurrent in his words and actions, a subliminal message that was becoming clearer to me by the second. I challenged him, and now he was showing me what he could do with a few well-placed words, several small, intimate gestures. He was reasserting himself with Wufei; this was a small demonstration of what he could do when he focused on a problem.
Wufei shifted uncomfortably in his seat, a sullen, pouty expression on his face. Once glance at Treize - who was now looking back at him, slightly disapproving - sent his gaze scurrying away, back out the window.
"I don't understand you at all," he muttered, "and I'm not answering your question. If you don't know, it's a moot point. And if you do, then ... then ... never mind." His face was scarlet again from the neck up.
"Very well, Wufei," Treize sighed. "Let us put this behind us." At that point, Treize produced a manila folder, a pen and various papers from the storage bin built into the seat and started to work, not bothering to look at me at all.
Drooping, I watched him scratch out something across the top of several pages; he seemed to be concentrating intently on the information in front of him. He certainly wasn't looking at me, which was a blessing; I felt rather overwhelmed, as if I had just tried to stop the tide from moving up on the shore and claiming a sand castle built close to the surf. Impossible - but I had to try. I couldn't do anything less.
After a short silence, Treize did look at me. "Goodness, Sally, I am out of my mind. I am so sorry you had to witness that." He bowed to me slightly, as if apologizing for a recalcitrant child. "Hopefully, there won't be a repeat incident. Would you like some tea?"
I stared at him, a familiar, if odd, feeling stealing over me. This was just ... surreal.
He looked back at me, calm and possessed, a tiny, knowing smile on his lips.
Forcing my mouth to work, I stammered, "I .. I would, thank you."
He looked pleased; and my sixth sense, that feeling that kept me alive and moving on more than one occassion, told me why. He had pushed hard enough that I had reacted; not much, true, but enough to be noticeable, which was more than he had been able to evoke previously.
He reached into the cabinet again, produced a steaming decanter and a travel mug and poured a large cup for me. "Of course. I was sure to bring some of your favorites, according to Mrs. Grimm. Here you are, Ms. Po."
"Thank you," I said faintly, accepting the mug in hands that were suddenly ice cold.
Treize smiled at me, his fingertips brushing the backs of my hands. My eyes widened at that, and my gaze jerked up to his. He grinned at me; mocking, teasing, I couldn't tell which - but his expression certainly didn't have the same character as the one he used with Wufei.
You're not his type - remember? that little sardonic voice inside my head mocked. What, you forgot already?
"Tea, Wufei?" A perfectly innocent question -
"How can you OFFER me that?" he snapped, scowling.
Treize sighed again. "I'm sorry, Sally. We seem to have ... regressed today, for some reason. Saa, perhaps it's the weather ..."
Wufei hunched his shoulders and looked steadfastly out the window, watching the scenery.
"I ... well ... it's rather nice outside, if a bit chilly .."
I watched Treize deftly pour another mug, add milk and sweetener, then lean forward, holding the cup out for Wufei to take, knowing he could see it out of the corner of his eye.
Wufei didn't move at all. In fact, his response was to give Treize a look that was a cross between blatant disbelief and curiosity.
Treize gently tapped Wufei's knee with the mug, very innocently getting his attention. "Well ...?"
I nearly spilled my own tea when I saw that move. Looking confused, Wufei considered him for a long moment, then leaned forward and accepted the mug, holding it as if it was a snake.
The general sighed, leaned back into his seat and went back to work, seemingly mollified. He was even smiling to himself.
Now Wufei glanced at Treize with a look that mingled confusion and hatred in equal parts, the mug squarely in his hands, untouched.
And I felt thrown completely off balance. I drank my tea - perfectly brewed, by the way - and concentrated on my breathing. In, out. In, out. Calming. Peaceful, even though my thoughts were in turmoil. All my careful work with Wufei? - gone. Any planning? - done. Finished.
~Saa ... just a challenge for you, Ms. Po. Not up to it?~
Gods. I thought I was going to spill my tea for a second time - but this time, it would have been the mug and all slipping out of my nerveless hands onto the floor. I surreptitiously glanced at Treize's face; he wasn't even looking at me, he was concentrating on his work. He hadn't said anything to me. I had imagined it.
Or had I? Pursing my lips, I thought about it. During my childhood, I had sworn up and down to my parents that I could hear what other people were thinking; but repetitions of, 'Sally Po, you're just imagining things' squelched that. Gradually, the voices fell away.
Well. I had no idea what I was hearing, but anyone who challenged me deserved an answer. I sniffed, thinking I never back away from a challenge, having no idea if I was thinking just to myself, the air ... or to something else.
There was a weird feeling of satisfaction around me, almost like a vibration. I looked over at Treize - he seemed to be very pleased with whatever he was reading, because this little smile just touched his lips.
I leaned back and stared out the window, hoping that we would get to the airport soon.
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If I thought the ride from the mansion to the airport was tense, well - it turned out to be mild compared to the ordeal of the actual flight to the island.
First, I had no idea we would be flying in a military helicopter. I had flown in them, of course, during my time in the service, and each and every time I disliked it. They were heavy, ponderous things that dipped and swirled with the air currents; the reason the military used them was twofold. They could transport a large number of troops efficiently, and they could land practically anywhere. No landing strip needed for them.
When I saw the machine as we pulled onto the tarmac, my heart sank. I knew this was not going to be an easy ride for me at all. It was one of those black, sleek copters that always make people paranoid when they see them.
Treize got out first, of course, then held the door open for me and even took my hand as I stepped out, acting like the perfect gentlemen. Wufei, however, opened the door on the other side of the limo himself and got out of the car. He gave me a lofty look over the top of the limo - and since he was short, that meant I could only see his eyes and the top of his head.
Really, it was hard to look lofty when you were short. I looked back at him and smiled, schooling myself not to laugh at him. Wufei raised one eyebrow, appearing to be questioning and lofty at the same time - but he looked too cute to be arrogant.
I heard a soft chuckle, and glanced behind me at Treize. He seemed amused by Wufei as well, and looked at him as he marched around the side of the car.
"Well?" the former gundam pilot demanded, glaring up at Treize.
Another soft chuckle. "This way, please."
Treize turned and walked toward the helicopter, Wufei close behind him. I followed them - not quite lagging behind, but certainly not enthusiastic, either. I really was NOT looking forward to this ride in the least - even though I piloted smaller craft, which were supposed to be less stable, I disliked riding in these machines. As a pilot, you had no control over your controls at all, except on takeoff and touchdown - and I liked feeling at least nominally in control.
Treize strode across the tarmac to the aircraft. Soldiers inside the helicopter opened the large bay doors and pushed a small ladder out the side of the craft, then snapped to attention, waiting for him to board. The general nodded to them, and turned back to watch both Wufei and me approach.
Wufei seemed to be disdainful of his surroundings, focusing only on the path in front of him. He strode right behind Treize, his head held high, his eyes narrowed, and stopped about a meter from the machine. He turned and looked at me as well.
I was uncomfortably aware of what now seemed to be EVERYone on the tarmac watching me walk up to the helicopter. Looking up at Treize, I saw an expression that was at once appealing and terrifying; he had what I found myself calling 'that cat smile' playing around his lips, and his eyes ... gah. He was back to playing, I suppose.
Treize gestured for me to precede him into the helicopter.
"Thank you," I said faintly, looking up at the men on board. They all had guns. Large guns. Every single one of them.
"You're very welcome, Ms. Po," he purred as he waited for me to climb the ladder.
I started to climb, and one of the soldiers bent down and offered me his hand to pull me up and into the machine. It was rather high, and I was grateful for the help. I was pulled into the doorway, and stood, waiting for Treize, surrounded by large military men with larger guns.
Next, Treize turned to Wufei. As the boy was climbing the ladder, Treize put his hand on the small of his back to help him up. Wufei stiffened, but that was all; his expression was one of stoic endurance, a concentrated effort not to react to Treize's touch. Treize, however, looked as though he was trying not to laugh as he followed Wufei up the ladder and into the belly of the aircraft.
I looked around, hoping I could find a seat where I wouldn't get sick from the motion. A sea of military fatigues surrounded me; it was obvious that all these people were Specials, members of Treize's elite team. The last time I saw so many military people was when I took the shuttle from the colonies back to Earth after I had transferred myself out of Septem's squad; and that, really, was not a pleasant memory.
Treize walked easily to the far corner of the copter, where there were several padded, comfortable seats facing each other. "Who wants the window?" he asked, a teasing tone to his voice.
I realized that even though he hadn't specifically said anything, he was referring to me. My palms were sweating a little. "Thank you," I murmured, and moved to the seat at the window.
Treize nodded - and almost immediately, several large, burly men took every seat surrounding mine. I could hardly see around them, they were so big. Alarmed, I half rose out of my seat, looking for Wufei, realizing that Treize trapped me there, alone, on purpose.
"Come along, Wufei," I heard him say. "We sit up front." And he walked off, expecting Wufei to follow him.
Wufei and I stared at each other around the wall of soldiers; his lofty, superior look had been replaced by one that was genuinely spooked. His eyes were huge and dark and his face was pale, completely washed out.
"...we ..." he started, still staring at me.
I nodded at him, resigned. Treize had outmaneuvered both of us - again. Now that he knew that I tried to sabotage his efforts with Wufei, I assumed he was gong to try to keep us apart as much as possible. It had been a possible consequence of my actions - and one that I, admittedly, hadn't considered. Well, I was paying for it now - and so was Wufei.
"Come along, Wufei." Treize's voice hissed over the intercom, barely audible over the noise of the rotors. "You must be seated before we can leave."
An absolutely trapped looked covered Wufei's face as he turned to move to the front of the vessel. He had no choice and he knew it - if he didn't go there willingly, there were plenty of large soldier types who would be happy to escort him to the general.
Gods. I hated this already. Buckling my seat belt, I leaned my head against the window and prayed that these huge, no-necked Specials would just go away and leave me alone for the next three hours or so.
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Well, actually, that's exactly what the soldiers did. They didn't go away, but they were professionals, and they left me alone. We sat there - several very large, burly, armed to the teeth men, and me - and said not a word to each other. For a very long period of time.
I had been leaning against the window with my eyes closed. I sighed, stretched, opened my eyes - and saw Treize sitting across from me, smiling.
I started. Badly. I hadn't even heard the soldier move, let along Treize move in and take his place.
"I'm sorry to have left you back here, Sally," he said softly, leaning forward. "But there are only two seats up in the command section, and I felt I needed to deal with his attitude now, rather than permit it to fester. He still hasn't told me what has him so upset."
Right. I could see how sorry he was to dump me here, in the midst of these musclebound Neanderthals. I narrowed my eyes, the only concession I gave to the anger and disbelief that flared through me without warning. "I see," I murmured in reply, hoping my tone was indifferent. With any luck, Wufei would tell him exactly nothing.
Treize favored me with a small smile and leaned forward a little more. "Don't worry," he said quietly, his voice pitched low, carrying only to my ears. "You get plenty of time alone with him as it is, and I don't really want to break him - ne?"
I stared at him, nonplused, my eyes widening slightly. No. I must have misunderstood. He couldn't have said -
"He has to learn he's not in a free situation," Treize continued, speaking just a little louder, conversationally. "Of course, I've been told how foolish this all is - taking you both in, trying my own hand to reform you - "
Gods. No. Did he say that? I swallowed, staring right at him, feeling the blood drain away from my cheeks, trying to follow what he was saying.
" -but I do - and will, no matter what anyone says - believe in the inherent goodness of man. I want to foster that, bring that out. Can that be so wrong?" Treize was looking at me, his face suffused with a passionate blaze, appealing. I felt myself drawn to him as I had never been drawn to any other speaker before; I had to make a conscious effort to disassociate myself and pull back, blinking.
The soldiers around me, though, were obviously affected in the same way I was - but were not disassociating. I could feel them responding, giving off this sense, this feeling of awe just listening to him. It was spooky, and a little scary.
"But ... perhaps I'm being too harsh. Perhaps I should have become a father sooner. It might have helped me to prepare for this."
"Perhaps," I said guardedly. "People with children tend to want the best for them."
"Exactly!" he nodded, beaming. "I want the best for him - for you! For all of us. And who am I to decide such a thing, you wonder?" His voice took on a haunted quality as he stared at his hands. "I don't have the answer to that - but I will not throw away the gift that has been given to me. I do want the best for him ... and for you. And for that, I believe I MUST be harsh, to some degree. Do you understand?" He lifted his gaze to mine, pinning me neatly with his stare, not allowing mine to drop without responding to him in some manner.
And gods, he was strong. "I ... try to understand, Treize..."
He nodded with a fervent, grateful, look, and touched my knee. "Thank you," he said, sincerely. "Please forgive me if I ever go too far."
The soldier sitting to my left cleared his throat; not an obvious noise, but disapproving all the same, making it clear that it was beneath the general to be seen touching a prisoner like me - someone who was considered a vigilante. "Ah - of course," I murmured, I said, looking from the soldier to Treize, acutely aware of the cramped space between us.
Treize gave a mild look at that soldier. "This woman is paying her debt to society, Braun," he said evenly. "I will not have her treated as a criminal. Is that clear?"
Braun nodded, his lips tight.
Giving me an impassioned look, Treize said, "I will come back with some lunch and tea in a bit - unless you'd prefer to wait, and take it with Wufei and me?"
"Whatever is most convenient for you, Treize," I replied, automatic. I certainly didn't want to give these soldiers any other reason to hate me. They already hated me as it was. Treize had just singled out one of them because of me, and I knew the way they thought - they would NOT forget that. Not only that, Treize had set himself up as my protector, so they couldn't even retaliate as they'd like.
He nodded, and gave my knee another grateful squeeze. "Take care." Looking at the soldiers surrounding me, he admonished, "And you take good care OF her."
Treize left, walking back to the command section of the helicopter. The tension after he was gone was palpable. Every single soldier stared at me, anger glaring from their eyes. Not a single one spoke, and every one eyed me with complete and total disapproval, as though I was an insect they should crush underfoot. The general was obviously much too kind and generous for his own good, associating with people like me.
The atmosphere was suffocating. I wished something would open up and swallow me whole. That horrid man knew what he did; he knew what affect he had on people, and he knew what kind of situation he left me in. He was simply paying me back for what I did with Wufei, and he was extremely thorough at anything he did. It was a lesson I would not soon forget.
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An hour and a half went by. By this time, I was extremely hungry, but I said absolutely nothing. I wasn't going to give anyone the satisfaction of letting them know I actually needed something. I had my pride, after all.
A soldier walked back and whispered into the ear of the man across from me. He scowled and glared at me. "Come on," he said, reaching out and pulling me to my feet, none too gently. "The general wants to see you."
Fortunately, the space was cramped. I was a little unsteady - had there been more room, I probably would have fallen down again. As it was, I simply tottered a little and stayed upright, then was pulled after my escort to the front of the helicopter. I stumbled a bit - I wasn't used to walking in the cramped aisles, across all the guns.
Once we reached the front, it was obvious, too, that someone had to vacate their seat to for me to have a space to sit. I felt vague satisfaction at that, too. Hah, good. Those nasty Specials can just stand for all I care.
But it was the arguing that caught my attention right away.
"No - because then you have nothing," Wufei said, heated.
"But based on what, Wufei? Surely you have a reason."
"... because ..."
"I don't see it in daily life. Do you?"
I walked over to my seat and stood there, looking at both Wufei and Treize, deep in the throws of whatever argument they were in at the moment. Treize was sitting back, his fingers steepled, his eyes fixed on Wufei, gleaming; and Wufei, for his part, was glowering at Treize, not even looking at me.
"Other people do ... even if I don't, then -"
"They think they do. They also see love, ghosts, angels, aliens ..." With a negligent wave of his hand, Treize waved me to my seat as he kept his gaze on Wufei.
"People have a NEED for it!"
"...and?"
"and if ... if it was unnecessary ... then that need would have been weeded out a long time ago."
"Ah. So. Then beauty IS a proof?"
Wufei looked shocked. "... shit."
Treize laughed. "Checkmate, my dear boy. And you can certainly do better - that would be Duo's solution."
Wufei gave Treize a sharp glare, but remained silent.
"Come now, Wufei," Treize said softly. "A better answer."
" ... men have a need for God, as well - and yet you say He does not exist."
Treize smiled. "An excellent answer. So - does need presuppose existence?"
As Wufei took a slow breath, thinking, Treize handed me a capped travel mug, filled to the brim with hot tea. "And how are you, Ms. Po?" he asked, smiling. "I hope my men are treating you well."
I gave him a dry look and accepted the mug. "Ah, well - they're quite attentive, all things considered. But I'm sure that's the way they were trained."
"Well," Treize replied with almost a bashful look, "I trained them myself."
" ... I'm ... not sure," Wufei said, continuing his thought, his brow knit, not looking up. Both Treize and I looked over at him. "I think ... really ... that it goes back to whether one even accepts the presupposition of evolution being the be-all and and-all determiner."
"Excellent, Wufei." Treize beamed at him. "And with that, we shall break for lunch."
Wufei sighed, as though he had just put down weights he had been lifting and blinked at me. "Hello, Sally."
I smiled at him. "Hello, Wufei."
He didn't seem to have anything else to say, either; he looked exhausted.
"We were discussing the existence of justice," Treize mentioned casually as he handed me a sandwich.
"Oh?" I said, trying to hide my surprise. "Whether or not it exists? Or whether it exists for some?"
"Ah - well. If there is to be a subject discussed, the issue at hand must be defined. Then, it must be traced to its source. Otherwise, just semantically, we could be discussing two different things. Wufei and I have been struggling to find a single, usable definition - one that applies cross culturally, and not according to situational ethics. We must define it according to the human need."
I thought for a moment. "Well. You can certainly understand what you do not believe to be justice, but that does not necessarily mean that everything not in that category is justice. I, on the one hand, believe that justice is a rare thing - whereas you may see justice all around you."
"Interesting," Treize said, leaning back. "And how do you define it? Is it subjective or objective?"
Well, I knew I shouldn't have said anything, but I said something anyway; plus, it didn't appear as if Treize was leaping down my throat at this point. He appeared calmly interested; very laid back, pleased with the conversation; so I continued.
"We like to believe we are being objective when putting systems in place - for example, the justice system that exists today. We choose penalties for transgressions, weight them, and try to mitigate the chastisement with mercy when possible."
"So - are you saying that justice exists in the courtroom?"
I gave Treize an even look. "No. I've said no such thing."
"Ah, sou - forgive me. Continue." He sipped his tea and watched me.
"Even when we are choosing what actions deserve punishment and which do not, we believe we are being objective. But are we?"
"That would be my question," Treize observed, smiling. "And if we are subjective ... then can there BE something called 'justice?' It would simply be 'opinion.' Or so we have been debating."
"Possibly, though there are intrinsic pieces that must be considered. For example - do people have a fundamental right to liberty? or is that a privilege granted to them by parties in power?"
Wufei was silent during this exchange, eating his lunch, watching both of us.
"An excellent question - and you see why we must define these things, especially since the concept seems to differ from culture to culture."
I smiled. "That depends, of course, under which political system one lives."
Treize nodded. "Exactly. So - conclusions? Have you any?"
"Well - should you have the misfortune to live under a despot, your liberty is not your own."
"Depending, of course, on how one defines liberty. There are those who define it as 'the right to act according to the laws of your people.'"
I nodded, conceding his point. "Yes, that is true. So does that mean that the majority rules? or do you try to attain consensus? or use coalitions?"
Treize looked thrilled, his eyes gleaming. "Ah, yes, but Ms. Po - in any of those cases you just mentioned, you are using one very basic assumption."
I felt caught, but I couldn't see the trap. "And that is ...?"
He smiled, his eyes sparkling at me. "That man even has rights. You assume it because you enjoy them - you wish for them. We all do. But on what basis can we possibly claim to have them? I am not saying we don't have them - I am asking. What do you think, Ms. Po?"
I stared at him for a moment, gathering my wits. "Conversely ... on what basis can we claim NOT to have them?"
"Because we decide what has them and what does not on a regular basis. We have reasons, such as sentience, to govern our decisions. Dogs have rights. Grass does not. But on what do we decide even that? We wish and argue for rights because we desire them. But that - means little."
I swallowed. "If I understand you correctly - you are saying that what I take to be a fundamental right - my right to exist - may not be a right at all. Is that correct?"
Treize nodded. "Correct. After all, the assumption that you have rights assumes such a thing as free will - and we tend to define this because we WANT them. Is it possible to look objectively, rather than subjectively, at such things? They determine how we behave - but only if we act on what we believe - ne?
And there was the dangerous ground, right in front of me. Quicksand - and there was no way around it. I could do nothing but tell the exact truth, the way I saw it.
"Unfortunately, I do not see any other way to act," I said quietly. "Acting on one's beliefs seems to be the most - honest - way of dealing with life."
Treize looked at me and gave me a small smile. I don't know how I could tell, but it was a much more appreciative smile than I had seen in the entire time I had been under his care.
"And that is what I like about you, Ms. Po," he said softly, his eyes bright. "You are ... honest."
I shrugged. "I cannot be something I am not, Treize."
"Of course not - most of us cannot. Those who act in a way they do not believe are doomed to fail. It is - a weakness."
Wufei looked up sharply and stared at Treize, his face pale - in fact, he looked rather upset. Treize, though, did not appear to notice, and was looking directly at me, smiling.
I blinked, and turned Treize's last phrase over in my mind again. Belatedly, I heard Trowa's words of yesterday in my mind and considered the impact of what Treize just said on Wufei's psyche. As I turned toward Wufei, Treize was one step ahead of me, concern lacing through his words as he looked over and said, "Wufei ... are you all right?"
But Wufei wasn't there. He had already left his seat and was pushing his way to the back of the vessel.
Treize sighed and looked back at me. "He has so much conflict."
I could barely speak, staring in blind anger at the general, realizing how he had used me yet again to get to Wufei. "He ..."
Nodding, Treize continued. "Yes, I know, he will tear himself apart. I do not think he believes in justice, Ms. Po. And yet ... he came here to find it, poor child. I can see why there was a war. So many people are so confused ..."
"That is true. So many of them are so confused because the truth of things is deliberately obscured," I snapped, staring at him, not bothering to hide what I felt. "They don't appreciate the truth because they cannot see it for the clutter thrown in their way."
Treize nodded, his eyes closed, a pensive, beautiful look on his face. Opening his eyes, he looked right at me. "I want to help him - and, I believe, so do you. I wish I could help them all."
I heard muttering from the cockpit behind me; turning, I saw the soldiers not concentrating on the instrumentation glaring at me, muttering about how some people don't deserve all the help they're being given. I whirled back to look at Treize; controlling my glare, I realized I had just been given yet another little demonstration.
Right. Least I forget, he had trained them ALL. Every single one of them belonged to him. Gods.
"How close are we, gentlemen?"
"About fifteen minutes, sir."
"Ah." Treize nodded, then smiled at me. "Perhaps we should all go back to our seats? I'll go and tell Wufei." He patted me on my shoulder as he passed me on the way to the aft section of the helicopter.
I sighed, got up from my seat, and slowly tripped back to my original seat with all the large, loyal, male soldiers. Feh, feh, feh.
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