Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters. This was written purely for entertainment purposes and I receive no profits whatsoever.
Curiouser and curiouser, when I wanted to post this story I couldn't log in but now, success. No explanation, about that but oh well. I hope everyone had a smashing Christmas and New Years, can you believe it 2003? I'm still in awe; I mean where did 2002 go? So I assume once again Einstein's theories are screwing with my mind. Tis' was the season and now it's on to the next big holiday; Valentines Day the day for lovers. Alas I have no lover thus resorting to mayhem is never a bad thing. This chapter is much longer than the last in fact I didn't even want to end this chapter but my fingers did and so; there's the ending. Much more is revealed within this chapter, but then again if you don't read these notes you won't know to look for it. As always enjoy.
Thanks to: Ley, Jem Star, Sorrow, Foole, Magnum, Rei2, Silver Magiccraft, Midnight, the black Rose, Cat, Wing. I thank you all for leaving a review and I thank those that didn't leave a review yet read and enjoyed the story.
Fade To BlackChapter 8: Shattering
By Aku Tenshi
Relena rose from her slumber around two in the morning with a quick glance to her alarm clock and a frustrated cry she laid in bed staring at the creamy ceiling. Blinking her large violet eyes ever so often, before she threw her legs over the side of the queen sized bed. After placing her feet on the cold wooden floor she gazed around the room, but her eyes immediately went back to her dresser as she raised an eyebrow. Standing, she took the few paces to her dresser and furrowed her eyebrows together trying to assess what it was that was out of place when she spotted her date book. With a sigh and a puzzled glance she picked up the leather bound book,
"Funny I don't remember leaving this out," She whispered to herself before placing a hand gently to her forehead, locks of her hair coming lose from behind her ear and hovering over her smooth nails, "But as it is I don't remember a great many of things…but still." With a shrug of her small shoulders and another sigh she placed the small book back in it's proper place and closed the drawer with a swoosh.
Quatre himself was in his hotel suite, staring at the pale ceiling the affects of the alcohol long behind him as insomnia took a claim of his mind. His hair a tangled mass of blond hung over his blue eyes as he pulled the blankets off of him and sat up his long legs easily reached over the side of the bed, his feet touching the cold wooden floor. His pajamas still lay in the zipped up suitcase and he had not the strength to go over and drag them out and so he slept in a white undershirt and white boxer shorts. Resting his hands on his knees he gave a long sigh before he stood and paced the floor, his hands clasped tightly behind his back and his aqua eyes staring forward intensely. He pondered over Relena and why she was in this distressed state; it was easy for him to see right through that defense façade she put up after the pain from her words subsided to a dull throbbing. On the nightstand by his bed there rested a mahogany frame within it a photograph; a simple photograph of a young woman in her teenage years; a bundle of books in her arm yet a smile on her rosy lips and twinkling in her violet orbs; it was Relena. She looked so different now than she had then; her hair was now much longer but her skin no longer had that healthy pink tone to it; it was much paler, and her eyes seemed to be vacant. With a shake of his head; Quatre turned from the picture the yearning of wanting to hold Relena was too strong when he looked at that photograph; and the pain pulsed. He clenched his eyes shut and balled his hands into fist; with his own anger. Yes he was angry with Relena for her pushing him away; no he wasn't going to let her, not now not ever.
"I'm not letting you push me away." He said through clenched teeth before his face and voice softened, "I love you too much for that…Relena."
Hilde and Noin the only two left awake conversed silently on the still damp balcony; both resting their arms gingerly on the wet and cold metal railing,
"Did you notice that, tension Lu?" Hilde whispered
"Yes I doubt anyone missed it, the tension between Relena and Quatre was so thick it could've been cut with a knife." Noin replied in the same tone.
"I doubt the guys did but there's something there don't you think?" Hilde asked looking out over the small courtyard and to the inner workings of the city lights.
Noin glanced at Hilde before replying, "Yes, but there was something there with Heero too. For some reason; maybe she hasn't let him go."
Hilde turned to Noin and shrugged her shoulders lightly, "I guess but it could be that she hates him," she paused and turned back to the city lights "But you know there is a thin line between love and hate. There always has been."
"Do you think that either Quatre or Heero know this?" Noin asked with an eyebrow raised a hint of subtle amusement in her voice.
"Quatre, maybe but Heero…" Hilde trailed off and shook her head, "I doubt it."
"Thought so; what should we do then?" Noin asked eagerly a distant twinkle in her inky blue eyes.
"We?" Hilde asked and shook her head, "We should have our main concern be centered on Relena and let those three figure it out for themselves. Interrupting on the matter of love is a very dangerous thing."
Noin remained silent and looked out at the city lights, the wind tickling her face with the light traces of mist mingling with her short hair. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply almost jumping at the sound of Hilde's voice.
"So what about you?" Hilde asked subtly; glancing out the corner of her eyes at Noin.
"What about me?" Noin asked innocently.
"You and your love. Have you told him yet?" Hilde asked purposefully leaving out his name for fear he may overhear.
While Milliardo may have been sound asleep in the living room, the two knew that even a sleeping soldier has ears. The subject of Relena, Quatre and Heero would be of no surprise but Noin's love for the blond haired agent would be.
Noin's cheeks flashed red as she shook her head slowly, "I haven't told him yet."
"Why not?" Hilde asked bluntly.
Noin elevated her head and glanced at what little left there was of the moon and sighed, "Fear." She murmured
Emily Une slept soundly at her desk with her head in her hands and the desk lamp on, before Marimaea entered the room in her silken pajamas and glanced at the wall clock. It was now two in the morning and here her foster mother slept. With a sigh Marimaea shuffled over to her mother and shook her shoulders startling Emily from her slumber.
"Emily it's two in the bloody morning. You've got to go bed." Marimaea said with a yawn of her own, placing a manicured hand over her rosy lips while doing so.
Emily stifled a yawn before glancing at the clock herself and blinking sluggishly, "Sorry Mari." She muttered rubbing her eyes "I lost track of time." She said before gathering the scattered papers in her hands and placing them in a stack. Tapping the stack lightly against the table to put them in order before she got up from her desk. Marimaea helped her up and out of the office chair before she turned off the lamp, following behind her mother she asked the question that was maybe one of her most obvious.
"Honestly Emily why don't you just go ask her yourself instead of snooping around, it'll be much easier." She rather stated than asked as she closed the door softly.
Relena ran a brush through her now damp hair as she sat in front of the beauty mirror, staring dully at her reflection as a song came to mind she softly began to hum the long lost forgotten tune. Only pausing momentarily to place the time and place and ceased humming immediately when she realized it was the same song to which she and Heero had danced. Shaking her head as a small smile overcame her features,
"Still I can't get you off of my mind. How ironic." She whispered to herself as she placed the brush down and reached for the towel when she spotted something shiny tangled in the bristles of the brush.
With a shaky hand she picked up the brush, and from it pulled a long lock of blond hair; her blond hair from it's bristles. Her large violet eyes grew in size as she stared with shock, standing up so violently that the chair clattered to the floor. Her feet began to trek backwards away from the mirror as a frustrated shriek rose from her throat and passed over her rosy lips. With all her strength she flung the brush at the mirror, hearing a dull crack before she slid against the wall and onto her knees; tears welling up in her violet eyes as she looked down at her own hands. She sat there sobbing for a moment before raising her head and looking into the cracked mirror; at the many broken reflections of herself.
Milliardo dragged a hand over his face as he looked across the table at Noin,
"How much alcohol did I drink and when?" he asked as he slowly took a sip of coffee.
"You took my scotch for yourself after Quatre's speech," Noin took a side glance at Heero whose head was laying against the table a hand limply curled around a mug "Seems the both of you had a scotch shot contest after that." She finished with a shrug and took a long sip of her own coffee.
Duo bounded into the small kitchen and roared out a loud, "Hello."
Milliardo winced, clenching his eyes shut; as Heero rummaged through his pockets muttering beneath his breath.
"Duo please not so loud…" Milliardo's voice croaked out
"Well," Duo started but one look from Milliardo and Heero having his 9mm pistol pointed at him; caused for him to lower his voice to a whisper. "Well I didn't tell you two to engage in a shot contest. And have any of you seen Hilde?"
"She did borrow my car a few minutes ago, I think I may know where she's gone but I'm not sure." Noin replied with another long sip of coffee; flipping the page of the newspaper.
"We know where she went Noin, ah well. She can't cause too much controversy can she?" Duo asked with a lopsided grin.
Noin replied with a smirk and a raised eyebrow; causing for the grin to leave Duo's face,
"Aw man." He groaned as he turned back around and headed back to the guestroom. "I'm going back to sleep tell me when she gets back."
Hilde rang the doorbell for the third time; swaying restlessly from foot to foot before she released an exasperated sigh and turned back down the walk. Stopping only when she heard the door open; slowly she turned back to the door.
"If you're looking for Relena she's not here." Mrs. Darlain called, looking down at Hilde from the top step, her eyes cold and a shawl wrapped tightly around her shoulders.
Hilde glanced up at the widow from her position on the bottom marble step and smirk crawled to her face, "Actually I came here to see you, may I come in?" she asked brightly.
The elder woman nodded her head and went back into the house leaving the door open for Hilde. With a grateful sigh Hilde closed the door and followed the widow Darlain into the living room where she took a seat in the closest chair to the door; as the widow Darlain stood in front of the bay window. The light illuminated her; giving her hair the appearance of a halo as she looked down at the younger woman with an arched an eyebrow.
"Well, I came here to ask for you to at least give me a sign Relena will be okay and return to the way she once was." Hilde pleaded softly; her hands clasped together tightly.
Mrs. Darlain smiled softly at Hilde before turning to the window clasping her hands behind her back, the long blue skirt she wore gliding around her legs.
"Do you know what self defense instructors tell women who are in danger to shout?" She asked allowing a moment of silence to pass before continuing, "They tell women to shout fire, you see if they shout fire everyone comes running; but," she paused turning back to Hilde as the smile disappeared "Shout help and no one replies."
Hilde glanced at Mrs. Darlain her eyebrows furrowing together, "What does that mean!" she demanded, "I just want to know what is going on with my best friend!" Hilde nearly screamed.
With a swoosh of her skirt Mrs. Darlain once again turned back to the window, only turning her head towards Hilde revealing a profile view of her face; "I suppose Relena shouted fire."
"Okay Relena times up." came Dr. Armond's voice.
With a groan Relena sat up from the bed; the paper on the sanitized bed rustling with her movement, and replaced the denim hat back atop her head, "That was shorter than usual" Relena replied casually
"Well, to you maybe; you nodded off to sleep in the middle of it; having trouble sleeping I assume." Janice replied as she checked Relena's pulse and blood pressure.
"Gee how could you tell." The younger woman replied cynically
Janice shrugged ignoring the other woman's sardonic attitude, "What's with the hat?" she asked with a nod to the cotton blue denim hat that slouched in front of Relena's violet eyes.
Relena only shrugged and glanced towards the chart of the inner ear on the wall, "I'm setting a fashion trend." She muttered flatly.
"Your hair right?" Janice broached, "You may want to think about cutting it and then fashioning a…"
"No, I won't. I'll cut it but I won't make a wig out of it; if I'm going to lose my hair I might as well let everyone know." She said interrupting the doctor.
"So that's how you're going to tell them." Janice said as she removed her stethoscope from around her neck; bunching it up in her hand violently, "Look Relena you have to tell them and before then. If things don't work out and you don't go into remission; you'll want to have as much time with your friends and family as possible." Janice ranted before she let out a defeated sigh and shoved the stethoscope in the large pocket of her crisp white lab coat.
Relena glanced down at the floor before looking up to meet her violet eyes with Janice's olive;
"No I can't do that; it'll only hurt them more when I'm gone."
"But if this works Relena, then what they'll hate you forever?" Janice asked angrily.
Relena closed her eyes and pictured Quatre, Hilde and Duo before she slowly replied; "If that's the price then so be it."
Morgan waited patiently on the roof of the practice with a pair of binoculars and grinned as he spotted Relena leave the building and enter her chauffeured black Mercedes. He scrambled to the access stairs and down into the building glancing at his watch. It was now three o'clock in the afternoon he had only few precious moments to waste as he scrambled to the third floor, stopping only to regain his breath before he left the stairwell walked down the hallway. He straightened his shirt and cleared his throat before he knocked awaiting her to open the door. The practice was virtually empty minus the cleaning crew; everyone had left so no one remained except for him and the doctor. The elder woman finally came and opened the door; giving Morgan one glance over before she opened her mouth; "May I help you?" she asked.
"Yes." He replied as he quickly
raised his arms wrapping his hands tightly around her smooth throat, "You can
help me a great deal." He finished as
he forced her back into the office closing the door with his foot.
TBC
As always criticism welcomed.