THANKS TO MY REVIEWERS!! I LOOOVEE YOU GUYS! 'sniffles'.
To answer Raizard333's question about the other couples, this fic is mainly based on Heero and Relena , though I am going to try and fit some alone time for the other couples. It's kind of hard when your working with a big group but I can manage if you guys really want action between the other couples.
By the way this chapter has action/drama stuff so, be prepared!
I do not own Gundam Wing, do you?
vvvvvvv
Heero lay in deep sleep, cuddled in the warm sheets that lay covering his body in an almost protective manner. He had been up late searching for the stranger's identity, and with much success he found the man to be Mason Alkern, a well known lawyer of the region who had recently divorced his wife, and gotten pulled over 3 times under the influence of alcohol. Authorities had also placed him under arrest several times for participation in illegal gang activities. Apparently he wasn't taking the separation too well, but nonetheless, Heero was slightly relieved that the man posed no major threat, though he would be someone to keep an eye out for. And so, with his conscious at rest he managed to doze away, paying no heed to time of the day. For once in his life he just wanted to rest until his body itself dragged him out of the large fluffy bed, letting his guard down completely to enjoy the full pleasure of sleep. Nothing in the world could drag him out of that impossibly addictive mattress...or so he thought.
Sleek black shoes trailed their way on the soft carpet floor of Heero's room, silently, without the smallest indication of another presence. The figure's outfit was composed of mostly black, eyes glistening with the pure evil delight of revenge. In his hand's he held a black object, a creation of dark metal, harboring disaster in its barrel nosed point. The shape twisted closer to the sprawled out pilot, finger tightening on the trigger. Lowering the weapon to the Japanese man's head, the man smiled crazily and forcefully pulled back on the trigger....
BADOOOOOOOOOOMMM!
Heero shot up immediately, startled by the sudden outburst of noise that shattered his morning serenity. Prussian blue eyes darted to the figure beside him, widening at the recognition of the man holding a toy noise pistol, in a dark frilly maid's dress....
"COCKADOOODELDOOO!RISE AND SHINE SLEEPY HEAD ITS TIME TO SING THE WAKE UP SONG! OHHHHHH THERE ONCE LIVED A LAZY OL-OOF!"
The dancing braided cross dresser was suddenly silenced by a large pillow, then tackled to the floor by something much heavier and...well... almost as deadly...
"You baka! You come in here and disturb my only good sleep to sing to me in a skanky outfit you sick nutcase?!"
Heero struggled to grab the screeching Shinigami's neck, which was currently being defended by the traitorous large pillow. Whenever he resorted to physical attack it had to be from lack of decent weaponry, of which he was suffering a great deal from at the moment.
"Well!...oof, you slept in and we kept knocking ow! So I had to get you out! And I just found this outfit in the showroom closet, huff, so I borrowed it -OUCH."
"Well maybe I wanted to sleep in. Hmph! Did you ever think of that? Nooo! Just take advantage of the situation to wear women's clothing and parade around in my room you disturbed baka!"
Heero finally grabbed the squirming Deathscythe pilot by the choker that fitted closely at his neck, eyes filled with annoyance.
"Jeez pal I never knew you'd have such energy in the morning. Haha! See what good sleep does to you?"
Duo let out a nervous laugh hugging the beat up pillow closer to his chest. Heero scowled in return, grabbing his fluffy possession from the cowering man under him. He let go of the choker, allowing Duo to take in long overdue breaths of air, and got up slowly to begin stretching his limbs.
The assaulted maid dusted himself off and straightened his incredibly short skirt, which to his disappointment had torn a few stitches from the brutal assault.
"Humph and I kinda liked this dress! I was hoping Hilde would try it on for me...heh...heh. I bet you wouldn't have done that if it were Relena."
Duo's complaint got him a death glare from the pilot standing before him. Unfortunately, the glare's goal of discouraging his smiling friend had a completely opposite effect.
"Yeah, I bet you'd like that wouldn't you? Waking up to find her majesty modestly dressed in a sexy dress just itching to see your every need..."
"Duo, get out before I smother you with another pillow."
"UH HUHHH, I'd bet you like to have her as a personal maid wouldn't you? You dirty fox, then you'd have her all to your-WHOA!"
Duo nearly dodged to flying bag of feathers and dashed out the door. Heero caught up with him in the middle of the living room, grabbing him by the ankles sending the close escapee face first into the floor.
"AHHHH! HE'S KILLING ME! HELP!!AKKHHH! BLOODY MURDER BLOODY MURDER!! APHHBBBBPPHHH!!!?!"
Heero stuffed the pillow straight into Duo's face, trying to silence the banshee before he alerted the whole living quarter.
"Shut up and I'll let you go."
"Wheaawwy?"
"Yes really."
"Ohay."
Hearing Duo's muffled agreement, Heero got off the battered man for the second time in 5 minutes.
"Ah, thanks pal I knew you wouldn't kill me."
"Don't push it."
The stoic pilot turned away walking towards his tempting bed. Meanwhile Duo skipped merrily to the door and opened it to let out another round of high volume announcements.
"OK HEERO'S AWAKE EVERYONE, THAT'S ONE DOWN! TIME FOR YOU TO GET YOUR LAZY ASSES UP AS WELL BEFORE I COME TO YOUR DOOR! HURRY UP!!!"
Heero froze in his spot, just noticing the lack of light outside the window.
'Everyone else is asleep? I though he said I overslept ...'
6:24 read the alarm clock...and an overly irritated Heero was out of the room and hot on the trail of the shrieking maid. Needless to say everyone woke up to the pleasant music of Duo's howling and the rumbling of two racing pilots through the hallways.
vvvvvvvv
Today's schedule consisted of an all out fun time at the beach. The girls shrieked in delight while the guys remained emotionless and cool as usual, except for Duo who began his usual onslaught of excited remarks. The walk there was not long at all, considering the fact that the mansion had its own private beach in walking radius. They arrived early, setting up their towels and belongings on the lawn chairs. Quatre and Trowa put up the volleyball net with the help of Middie and Catherine, hoping to get a good game going later on.
"Alright! Whose up for some surfing!"
Anna smiled brightly, picking up her emerald green surfboard.
"Count me in!"
Duo snatched his board immediately, racing by Anna to head towards the water. Heero walked towards the surfing crew, feeling that he'd prefer a good swim at the moment. Not to mention he would also be able to watch Relena play from a safe distance eliminating the chance of being caught staring at her. Hilde followed behind, grabbing her boyfriend from his braid and embracing him in a playful hug as they walked towards the beach.
"Hey you guys coming or what?"
Quatre turned towards his questioning sister and politely waved her away.
"Maybe later Anna, we're going to play some volleyball first."
"Alright kiddo whatever you say."
The net was finally set up and they wasted no time separating the teams. Relena, Trowa, Middie, Wufei, and Sally won the coin toss, picking themselves to start the serving. Quatre, Zechs, Dorothy, Noin and Catherine chose the side they wished to start on and so the game commenced.
Meanwhile Anna was trying to instruct her colleagues on the basics of surfing. The waves were perfect and large, giving them a good practice ground. Heero seemed to manage himself quite well, maintaining his balance and riding the wave until it died out.
Duo had less success, but nonetheless seemed to enjoy himself as he knocked into Hilde every time, sending the both of them toppling into the water. Anna smiled and shook her head, catching a wave of her own and heading off.
Within 25 minutes, the three newbies were riding the colossal waves with ease, catching the attention of the volleyball players at shore.
"Awesome, look at me go!"
Catherine pointed at their friends who were now under the closing tides of a large wave. Relena was particularly interested in the boy who was easily maneuvering inside the crevice of the crashing wave, smiling as he watched his braided friend behind him latch onto a screaming Hilde bringing them both down into the rushing water below. He on the other hand remained on his board, escaping the wave as it died down, before flopping into the water himself. She couldn't help but blush at how attractive he looked as he tore through those waves with nothing but swimming trunks.
Sally elbowed her lightly, bringing her frozen eyes off of Heero's wet muscular body.
"He's pretty good huh? Why don't you go surf, maybe he can help you out."
The older blonde smiled evilly, sending a sneaky wink at the blushing Vice Foreign Minister.
"Oh Sally, stop it! We have a game to play!"
Relena turned quickly, trying her best not t break out into a smile. Noticing Relena's obvious desire to join the handsome pilot, Sally grabbed her by the wrist and dashed towards the water where the rest of the boards were placed.
"Sally what are you doing?!"
"Come on, we can always play volleyball, lets catch some waves while there are some."
The others looked at the retreating girls in confusion.
"Where do you think your going onna? The game isn't over yet! Are you retreating just because you're losing?"
Wufei called out after Sally, smirking in anticipation of her response.
"Why don't you come here and surf with us Wufei, or are you scared of being humiliated by a girl?"
"If it's a challenge you want, it's a challenge you get!" He fumed at her teasing smile, dashing towards his own surfboard.
The remaining players looked at each other blankly. The game would obviously have to be continued later, judging from the decreasing number of participants. Shrugging their shoulders, they all headed towards Wufei who was now dragging a giggling Sally over to the water. Zechs and Noin stayed behind. The two casually decided to go on a short walk and join them later.
Anna smiled at the newcomers, waving excitedly to bring them over to where she was sitting on her floating board.
"Alright, I trust you'll all have no problem grasping the concepts quickly so ill tell it to you once and see how you do. If you need any help I already have three well performing stars back there."
She pointed behind her where Heero and Hilde were sitting on their surfboards looking around for a missing Duo. Two arms shot out from under Heero's board, knocking it over and sending the Japanese pilot toppling over into the water. Hilde laughed her head off, while Heero struggled to shove Duo's head into the water and keep it down there.
After a good 45 minutes, everyone managed to surf at least 3 waves, ending their tutorial and beginning with their own independent surfing.
Watching proudly from her board, Anna smiled at her friends who were now having the time of their life riding, flipping, and flopping over the waves.
Wufei and Sally were focused on a very serious surfing competition, though Sally's laughter occasionally killed the mood. Wufei worked with determination, aiming to prove that he could easily out surf his pretty colleague.
"Akh! Trowa don't do that! You're scaring me!"
Trowa smirked at his girlfriend whom he had easily balanced on his shoulders as he surfed over a riding wave. (A.N. I don't know if that's technically possible but OH WELL! In this fic it is!) She wavered and shrieked nervously every time he would pretend to lose his balance.
"Don't smirk at me like that! You're evil!" She giggled tugging at his hair playfully.
"If I was really that evil then wouldn't I have dropped you already?"
"Hmmm...well I guess soOOOOOO WHOAA!"
Middie felt herself tilting violently to the side, realizing milliseconds later that she was falling straight for the water with Trowa holding on tight, following her descent. They fell over with a big splash, coming up a few moments later.
Middie was in a frenzy of smiles and yells as she went on a water splashing rampage against the amused clown, who only chuckled and grabbed onto her tighter.
"HEY!INCOMING!"
Trowa turned abruptly towards the speedily approaching Quatre, who seemed to be lacking control of his board. Trowa's reflexes automatically send him and Middie ducking into the water, barely escaping the tip of Quatre's board as it flew over them.
"SOORRY ABOUT THAT TROWAAAA-OWOAAA!!"
And so he flew, over a massive lump of a wave and several feet into the air. Twirling limbs and flashes of blonde hair plummeted down towards the water in the direction of an unsuspecting Catherine. Quatre caught sight the soon to be collision, eyes widening.
"CATHERINE LOOK OUT!"
The red head raise her eyes to the incoming blur and her breath caught in her throat. Her arms flung up over her head, supplying the maximum shielding she could muster at the moment. She felt her head suddenly jerk back, not from colliding with Quatre, but from being snatched abruptly from her spot, escaping the tumbling boy as he crashed into the waters. She opened her eyes, looking frantically at her savior.
"You ok?"
The brown haired man looked at her startled face and broke out into a smile.
"She's fine."
Trowa swam up to them, tone firm and eyes showing no softness towards the stranger. Rescuer or not, he didn't like the way the guy was gazing at his sister.
"Alright, that would have been one hell of a crash back there. Glad you're alright babe."
Catherine blushed furiously. Not only was the man charmingly heroic, he was fine! Well-toned body, muscles sculpting his tanned skin, shoulder length brown hair with hazel eyes. On his upper arm was a tattoo of a shark biting into a surfboard. He was downright gorgeous.
"I-I um thank you."
What a time to be tongue-tied. Catherine looked away suddenly trying to hide the obvious redness in her face.
"Catherine! Are you alright?"
Quatre rushed over worriedly, leg still tied to the surfboard behind him. Before she could even respond, voices of men called from behind her, making her gaze in their direction.
Two men were floating far off, calling to their friend who waved back and smiled.
"Hey I gotta go, be more careful will ya? Real shame to have a pretty girl like you in any accident."
Flashing her a final smile he swam off towards his friends. She stared at his retreating figure, still dazed by his previous presence.
Trowa cleared his throat, catching her attention once again.
"Oh! I'm fine Trowa thanks!" She smiled brightly, easing his tense expression. Middie stood beside him giving Catherine thumbs up for her new catch. Dorothy swam in, rushing to Quatre and Catherine to make sure they were alright. She had caught the whole act, and like Middie she was teasing Catherine on the good-looking surfer who had rescued her.
The girls giggled and started swimming towards the next coming wave, frantically talking about what else, than the charming boy they had come across. Trowa and Quatre followed close behind.
"I thought this was a private beach." Trowa mumbled as they followed the women.
"It is, but Anna isn't too strict about having no trespassers, she lets people swim here of their own free will. It doesn't seem to bother her."
The blonde looked over to his silent friend who nodded and sat up on his board, preparing for the next wave.
vvvvvvv
Relena clung onto her board after riding several good waves simultaneously. She watched as Anna dove through the slope of a large wave, gliding away from the caving waters behind her. As much as she wanted to try it, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous, so she decided to sit around and watch the talented girl make the pass flawlessly.
Her eyes set on an approaching figure that stopped several feet away from her, waiting for the next massive wave. He turned towards her, catching her eyes with his Prussian blue ones.
"You coming in for this next one?"
His deep voice cut through her thoughts, making her shake her head hesitantly.
"I think I'll sit it out and watch. I'm not too sure I can handle going in there just yet."
She smiled weakly, feeling somewhat embarrassed at her hesitation.
"It's not that hard. Come, I'll show you."
He held out his hand, taking her small one in his own and pulling her up to sit in front of him.
"Are you sure we can make it on one board?"
He nodded his head, gazing sternly at the approaching wave.
"There it is...ready?"
She nodded her head determinately, muscles tensing as the wave edged closer. At his command, they started paddling towards the wave, standing up as they entered its massive body. Holding her by the wrists, Heero brought her arms up from her sides, placing them in position to maintain their balance.
Relena couldn't help but laugh as they swept through the crevice, walls of blue and white gliding above and behind her. It was truly amazing and she looked back into his eyes with utmost excitement, making him smile in return. He released her hands, leaving them to work on their own as his arms found their way around her waist. He held her steady as they gained speed, enjoying the feel of her smooth skin against his.
Relena felt her skin heat up under his touch and she leaned back into his embrace. Heero's head edged in closer to hers, smoothing his cheek against her own as the salty wind passed them by. At the moment everything was perfect as Relena surfed through the massive wave with Heero holding her protectively.
The wave began to edge closer to a cluster of rocks at the far end near a high cliff, and Heero held on to Relena tighter as he curved his body, tilting the board away from the rocks. But something positioned the board back towards the sharp rocks, and it surely wasn't any of the riders.
"Heero it's stuck! This board won't move!" Relena sounded franticly as she saw them heading straight for the boulders ahead. He glanced down at the board beneath him, catching a glimpse of dark fingers holding the edges. His eyes narrowed. They were being sabotaged.
"Someone's under us. He's aiming us towards the rocks."
They were left with two choices, to jump and risk an underwater attack by the assailant, or head towards the rocks and manage getting off there where the attacker would have trouble doing so. But going for the rocks was too risky, and with the strong wave there was no way they'd make it out in one piece.
So Heero did the only thing he could do. Jamming his heel onto the fingers on the board, he knocked off the assailant and released the tie on his leg, preparing to jump. The jagged rocks were only a few feet away and this was their only chance.
"Hang on!"
He held her close to his chest, covering her head with his own and one of his free arms. With a final push he propelled them as far from the rocks as possible, but this didn't stop the massive wave behind them from pushing their helpless bodies straight into the jagged objects. A sharp pain seared down Heero's back as he felt himself collide with the hardness behind him.
He held on tighter to the body sheltered in his grasp, struggling against the crashing waters to climb up for air. Their heads finally made it above water, blessing them with a sharp intake of air.
But they were far from out of trouble. Another wave had arrived pummeling them back over the rocks. He narrowed his eyes, embracing himself for the collision to come. His hand ran across the edge of a massive stone and immediately grabbed on. If they didn't get to stable ground they would be broken into pieces by the continuous bombardment of waves.
He looked around desperately, trying to locate any sort of escape from the torture chamber around him. A low cliff shined like holy light, dawning a new sense of hope and strength in his body. They would have to head for it if there were planning to make it out in one piece.
Grabbing her tightly he released the edge he had clung onto and swam with all his strength, grabbing at rocks and holding on tightly as each crashing wave pushed through. His foot slipped from the moss of one of the boulders, knocking his hip into it instead. He gritted his teeth as the pain burned through his side, but he had to keep moving.
They were just below the cliff now, and they had to get up quick before the next tide came in. He heard the shouts of his friends from afar, but the pounding noises were making them completely ineligible.
"Relena grab onto the ledge! Hurry!"
He helped push her up to safety, where the racing waters could not reach her. Once she was nestled safely on top, she turned around and held her hand out to him. He raised his foot onto the rock below, but suddenly an incoming wave pushed him with great force, knocking him off balance and into the mass of rocks below.
"HEERO!"
That was the last thing he heard when his head collided with something painfully hard, plummeting his vision and senses into an ocean of black waters.
Relena watched horrified as his body grew limp and sank beneath the water. Had she been an ordinary frightened girl, she would have sat there and wept her eyes out over her dead love. But she wasn't giving up that easily. Not when he had risked his life more than once to save hers.
It would be risking her life greatly, but she couldn't live on knowing she could have tried. Wasting no time she spotted a clearing in the rocks and jumped in. She felt the waters consume her once more, and she realized just how much force Heero had to swim through with both of their bodies just to get to that cliff!
She spotted his unconscious form beneath the waves and she dove towards him, bringing her arm around side of his body and pulling him up with her. She gasped the second she hit the top of the water, lungs welcoming in the air around them. She struggled to keep his weight up and avoid being pushed around by the waves at the same time.
The cliff was too far now and there was no way she would be able to anchor his body up there. Things were looking grave, and her limbs were beginning to wear down from all the swimming.
"HEY! OVER HERE!"
She was so overcome by the crashing waves that she didn't even hear the roaring engine of the jet ski beside her. Two lifeguards were reaching out to her, like glowing angels lifting her free from an almost certain death. She clung on to them tightly, holding onto Heero's unconscious body. She prayed that he was only suffering a minor concussion and nothing more.
A second jet ski rang in, this one occupied by a very worried Duo and Wufei.
"RELENA! HEERO!"
The other two lifeguards lifted her aboard with a strong tug, as Duo and Wufei pulled up Heero. The driver was careful to avoid major damage by the ravaging waves and rocks nearby. Holding on to Relena, the second lifeguard signaled to his friends to get out, and with that they drove off near the shore.
Upon arriving on the sandy beach, Relena saw an ambulance waiting nearby along with her friends who rushed them immediately. There were also several strangers, four men holding boards of their own and watching them worriedly as they were brought in. Zechs engulfed her in his arms, making sure she's alright.
"I'm fine Milliardo really! I'm fine!"
She tried hard not to let the limp in her right leg show. Her ankle must have twisted as she struggled against the boulders and she was now beginning to feel the pain take effect.
But her attention was now focused on the medical assistants crowding around Heero, and she felt her heart sink into the gutters of her body at the sight of his head resting on a bloody cloth.
"Heero...oh God no!"
Escaping Milliardo's grip she rushed to his side. His eyes were still shut tight, paleness covering his features.
"Don't worry mam. It's only a concussion, he'll be just fine!"
They commenced putting him into the ambulance when Zechs stood before them blocking their passage.
"He will stay here. There is no need to take him to the hospital."
The rest were with him, knowing the risks of taking Heero to a regular hospital.
"But sir! He might have broken bones we have to run a full check up on h-"
"I said he will stay here. We can run those tests within the vicinity of this mansion, now please let him be, we will contact a physician immediately."
The forcefulness in the blonde man's voice was almost dictatorial, and the men thought twice before answering back.
As the men prepared to take Heero up to his room, Sally grabbed Zechs firmly by the arm, moving him away form their earshot.
"Zechs they have to run x-rays and we surely don't have any lying around here. Let's just take him there for the scans and bring him back. He needs to get checked for any serious problems or else they may damage him for life."
Her tone was serious, and Zech's let his trust in her doctoring abilities allow the men to take him to the hospital, but only to be checked.
Zechs, Sally, Noin, Duo, and Trowa went with Heero and Relena to the hospital after instructing the rest of the gang to get some rest and let their minds at ease. Wufei and Quatre stayed behind calming the girls and settling them down to their rooms.
Back at the hospital, Duo, Sally, and Noin stayed with Heero, making sure no blood tests were run as they ran the scans on him. Meanwhile Zechs and Trowa guarded Relena who passed the check up with a few cuts and bruises and a twisted ankle.
Heero was surprisingly nearly as fortunate with nothing more than a concussion and heavily bruised hip, along with a cut on the back of his head. He had received a hard hit to the back, but it only caused heavy bruising and muscle soreness. Nothing was broken or fractured to the doctor's amazement.
"In his situation I'd say he's pretty damned lucky to get out in this state. I've had people come in from those rocks with limbs hanging off them by a string!"
Duo cringed at the mental image and thanked the doctor before getting his buddy out of there. Relena relaxed slightly at the news, but her stomach cringed every time she laid eyes on his silent figure.
Returning to the mansion, they laid him on his bed and Sally instructed them on how to treat him due to his concussion, warning them of possible deliriousness and nausea. Relena volunteered to stay at his side, but Zech's wasn't about to give her responsibilities when she had gone through an experience from hell. Duo and Sally were set to stay with him, incase anything were to go wrong.
Relena glanced at him one last time, worry weighing down in her heart. Someone had done this to them. Was it the same person from before? She noticed Wufei conversing with Quatre and Trowa silently, was it about the same thing that was pecking at her mind?
This vacation was wonderful thus far, and just when she felt herself getting closer to Heero, something always had to mess it up. She sighed heavily and told Sally to let her know if he woke up. The blonde smiled gently and told her to get some rest.
Relena retreated to her room, changing into her pajamas and preparing for bed. She just lay there on her bed, her eyes seemed to stare at the same spot for hours replaying the memories of the day. As if freeing her from her troubles, sleep weighed in on her after long moments of absence, sending her into a dark silence that this time brought peace.
- - - - - - - - - -
As he lay in a bed crusted with icy sheets, Heero opened his eyes slowly, bringing an arm up to shield his vision from the blinding light above. It felt so much like a dream, but still the searing pain in his head continuously throbbed. The strong light that greeted his awakening was now dimmed, lighting the surroundings lightly.
'Where am I?'
There was something wrong in this place from his memory, and he want to get out. As fast as possible.
Getting up, he felt the dim pain now rise as he switched the pressure of his body to his less than functioning legs. The door is only a few feet away. The room is decorated cozily, but an icy coldness seeps through the air. Heero grabbed the doorknob, but couldn't make it budge, even with the wild banging he cascaded onto its lavished exterior. He was trapped in this haunting room, and its atmosphere was beginning to stench of rotting flesh. Definitely not a good sign.
But before he could deduce a new way to escape a wetness hovered under him. Water, flowing freely from under the door, filling the room at an almost rapid pace. Suddenly the memory hits him with a force much harder than a brick could ever muster.
The ocean, the jagged knives sticking up from under the dark waves...Relena. He remembered falling back into the water, vision blurring the second he felt a heated spear crush through his skull. What happened? Where was she?
He felt so frustrated, worried. In him was a menacing feeling that she's there. The water is knee level now, and its darkening slowly as it rises. It is then the deathly silence is cut by a shrilling scream, and he could practically feel his blood run cold. That was her without a doubt.
"Relena!" He yelling but could hardly hear his voice, the sound of crashing waters was too great and it was coming from outside now. Laughter rung out over the sound of the monstrous waves, but it was not the kind of laughter that lights your heart with joy. It was the kind that crawls through your bloodstream glazing ice at it runs though your whole body.
"Relena! Relena! Where are you!?Answer me!"
The final assault made door swing wide open, revealing the ocean beneath him, waves crashing violently under a sky of darkness, lit occasionally by pounding lightning. Down there, on a jagged cliff above the waves...he saw her. She's bound with ropes, held on to the ledge by an all to familiar face.
"A little too late aren't we Mr.?" His smile bears white fangs, and he roars with that monstrous laughter of his, filling the young pilot with red fury.
"Let her go Alkern, you have nothing to do with her."
Again that laughter, his fists clench in temptation to squeeze that throat until the life is sucked out of his body.
"Watch closely Mr. Yuy. Watch...only watch..." With a single movement, he sends her falling into whirlpool beneath. She screams out Heero's name and he lunges towards her, only to be held back by hands, black hands.
"No! No! Let me go!"
Her image is fading as she cascades down the dark vortex, her tears shining through like drops of moonlight. He could feel his eyes widen as she disappeared into the darkness below and the shrilling laughter of the unconquered demon rings through the storm.
"RELENAAAA!!!!"
vvvvvvv
Duo fell off his chair when he was suddenly awakened by Heero screaming out Relena's name in what seemed like agonizing pain. He was obviously having a nightmare, something not to uncommon for someone suffering a concussion. Sally rushed in immediately from her place in the living room, running up to Heero's sweating body.
He was breathing hard, eyes dilated irregularly. His pupils searched the room frantically, looking over the new surrounding, calling out for the lost girl. A sickening feeling crept through his stomach, worsening the sudden dizziness that overcame him.
"Relena! Relena she fell in, we have to help her! Where am I?!"
Sally held on firmly to his shaking shoulders, while Duo went to grab Relena from her room. Knowing Heero he wouldn't get one ounce of rest until he was sure she was safe.
Relena sighed groggily from the frantic pounding on her door.
'Who can possibly be up at this time of the night? Uhhh...'
She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and walked towards the door. Upon opening it an arm grabbed her by the wrist, flinging her out of the doorway.
"Wha-?! Duo what's going on?"
"Uh Heero kinda woke up and he's going psycho, I think he was having a nightmare but the concussion is making his condition worse and I think he's getting all delirious on us." Duo spoke in between breaths as they dashed to Heero's room. "He's freaking out over you and something about you falling."
Duo's explanation only made her run faster, struggling slightly with her hardly healed ankle. They finally reaching the room and entered to where Sally was trying to give the feverish, restless boy a sedative to calm down. He was still struggling and rambling about saving Relena from the waves. He was highly flustered and disturbed from his nightmare, and the sudden return to reality left him in a greater state of confusion. He was panting heavily, body moistened by cold sweat. His teeth were gritted in pain from the pounding in his head. He could feel the penetrating waves of fire running through his back.
"Heero!" Relena ran towards him, sitting at his side and holding his face in her hands.
"Heero, it's ok I'm here. I'm alright! Shhh calm down it's alright."
She put her arms around his shoulders, allowing him to nestle his head by her own and feel her warmth. Sally took the moment to inject the relaxant hastily before he could realize and fly into more panic.
"...Relena."
His breathing was still forced, but he closed his eyes, taking in her scent. She pulled away slightly looking at his eyes. Fear, anger, and confusion swam through the blue liquid orbs, easing down slightly at the site of her face near his. She pushed his shoulders back, laying him down onto the bed. Bringing her forehead down onto his, she clasped his face in her hands, gently rubbing her fingers across his cheeks in soothing caress. She placed an innocent kiss on his lower jaw, easing his trembling, and stared straight into his eyes.
"I'm right here Heero, I'm alright, everything's ok. Don't worry, get some sleep I'm not going anywhere."
She whispered gently, warming his flustered face with her sweet breath. She felt him relax slightly, closing his eyes and letting more air seep into his raving lungs. She looked towards Sally and Duo, motioning to them that she would stay with him for the night. They nodded lightly, leaving to rest in the living room, where they would be close by if anything were to happen. Relena caught the smirk on Duo's face as he left, but returned her attention on the man beneath her.
The moment they left, Relena snuggled closer to his tense body, letting him know that she was here with him.
"Shh, it's alright. We're in Anna's home, remember? You just had a nightmare you'll be alright. It's ok."
She spoke soothingly, running her hand along his arm as she laid chaste kisses on his neck and shoulder. It was the only thing she could think of to calm him down, and it seemed to work as his body grew more limp, worn down from the tension of the nightmare and the physical fatigue.
He opened his eyes, which were now softer, anchoring a tired expression. His gaze rested on her face, now painted with the enchanting glow of moonlight.
"Relena...wha-"
She silenced him with his finger, smiling gently and pressing her lips to his forehead.
"Get some rest Heero, everything's alright. I'm right here I'm not leaving..."
A sigh escaped the boundaries of his lips, releasing whatever tension was left in his worn down body. Bringing his arms around her waist, he held her tight. He was finally felt at ease, knowing she was safe and sound in his hold. The heavenly touches and warm breath on his shoulder were all too pleasing and he found himself falling into a calmer sleep faster than ever.
It felt so right having him hold her close in the cold of the night, and Relena couldn't help but smile into his shoulder where her head was presently resting. She was snuggled close to a half delirious man, but she had never felt more comfortable in her life. Her hand moved along the side of his bare back in a slow, gentle pattern, caressing the skin above his resting muscles. Her other hand was occupied behind his neck, tenderly massaging the soreness away with her fingers.
"Goodnight Heero."
She finally let her senses relax, joining the young pilot beside her in sweet slumber.
vvvvvvv
Golden rays flowed in through the gaps between the bedroom curtains, awakening Zechs immediately. Getting up, he went through a quick shower and wasted no time getting dressed. The rustling noises of movement and water rang into Noin's ears, alerting her drowsy senses.
"Hmm? Zechs? Where are you going?"
She spoke lightly, still sleepy and lacking energy. He looked towards his wife and smiled gently, placing a kiss on her lips.
"I'm just going to check on Relena and Heero. I have to talk with him about something."
She mumbled an 'ok' before sinking her head back into her snuggly pillow.
Zech's was almost out the door when he turned to the sound of Noin's voice calling him back.
"Don't be so hard on him, hun. And make sure he's feeling better before you talk to him."
Nodding in agreement, he headed out towards Relena's room.
After about 8 minutes of knocking, the tall blonde was loosing patience and becoming slightly worried. Relena wasn't exactly a heavy sleeper, and from all the pounding he was doing she was sure to be up.
'Maybe she's in the shower.'
He pondered quietly, and decided to check on Heero quickly then come back. Walking through the hallway, he reached the door, knocking only twice before he received an answer. Sally opened the door, slightly surprised to see him there.
"Good morning Sally. Is he awake?"
"He, uh, no he's not awake yet. I was, um, just about to wake him to give him his medication. I'll let you know when he's up and well."
She started to close the door, but Zechs' hand stopped it from shutting.
"You mind if I come in? I need to talk to him once he's up."
"Oh! Well, sure come in."
Pushing the door in the opposite direction of where it was first going, Sally watched somewhat nervously as Zechs entered. If he found out his sister was here God knows what hell would break lose...
"Ok, I'll be just a minute! Relax in the living room until I'm done."
"Actually I'd prefer to come with you if you don't mind."
"Well, I think it'd b-" her slowly progressing sentence was cut short when Duo emerged from the room, eyes widening at the source of the noise.
"OH! It's you! Heh heh, uh...um, Sally, Heero's stirring a bit uncomfortably...uhh I think you should check it out."
She nodded frantically and rushed in.
"Wait one minute Zech's we'll be right out."
The door shut forcefully followed by the clicking of a lock, leaving Zechs in the living room with suspicion seeping into his mind.
"HOLY SHIT! He'll have a cow if he sees them like this!"
Duo looked nervously towards his friends who were cuddled in the bed. Duo would have laughed at their intriguing position if he wasn't so freaked out about having Zechs there. Relena was lying on her back, while Heero had half his weight over her; his head snuggled closely under her neck near her chest. Her hand rested on the back of his neck, while the other one was draped over his shoulder. He couldn't tell exactly where Heero's hands were; though he was pretty damn sure Zech's would slit a few throats if he found out.
"Great! What are we going to do? Uh... hey! Let's throw a rope over to her balcony from here, and then we'll grab her and cross over to-uh "
Sally's icily sarcastic glare cut him short.
"Hey it was just an idea, sheesh."
He walked back and forth frantically, plots popping up and dying in his head. Sally jumped excitedly from a sudden brilliant idea, knocking Duo out of his focus.
"I got it! Ok Duo, listen up. This'll be kind of tricky and we need outside help. Do you have Hilde's room phone number?"
"Well duh, I kinda stayed there two nights- uhh..." She raised an eyebrow at his comment, a slow grin spreading across her face.
"Uh. Ahem, yeah I have it. Heh heh."
He rushed to the phone and dialed her number, only to be answered by a less than cooperative and angry Hilde.
"Jeez, Duo why did you have to call so early, breakfast is in like 3 hours!" Back in her room, Hilde was trying to rub the sleep out of her eyes, currently unaware of anything except the time of day.
"I know babe sorry, but we're kind of in a jam. And uh I need you to do me a BIG favor."
"Yeah yeah...mm...wait, why what's going on? Oh! Is it Heero? Is he ok?"
"Yeah but he won't be if you don't help. Look, long story short, Relena is here with him and, well, Zechs is in the other room waiting to come in."
Hilde didn't need anymore of an explanation, though she was practically impatient to find out more juicy info from Relena later.
"Ok, what do I have to do?"
"Uh good question, umm... hey!"
Sally grabbed the phone from Duo's hand, ordering him to stand watch at the door just incase Zechs found some way to get in.
"Hey Hilde, it's Sally. Ok look we need you to do this quick so listen up, go to the kitchen..." Duo stood watch as Sally explained the whole plan to Hilde in 3 minutes, adding in a few comments now and then.
"Duo! Come on hurry we have to get these two up!"
They moved over to the sleeping figures, feeling somewhat clueless as to how to wrench the two apart. Duo looked nervously towards Sally.
"Hey, I ain't touching Heero. His reactions to my wake up calls end up breaking some part of my body."
Sighing in defeat, she decided to wake Relena up first. But with Heero sprawled on top of her it was going to be tricky.
"Duo, Sally is everything alright in there?"
They jumped at Zechs' voice echoing through the door.
"UHHH Yeah! Everything's juuust fine! We'll be out in a few minutes!" Sally called back, hoping the Lightning Count's patience would last that long.
Their attention switched to Relena's stirring figure. She moved slightly, eyes fluttering open.
"Hmm? Sally? Duo? What's wrong?"
She gazed at her two friends who were looking strangely nervous.
"You two need to get up, NOW. I'll explain everything once he's awake." Relena noticed that Sally seemed somewhat rushed as she walked over to the door, as if trying to hear something.
Relena was about to move when she felt a weight over her body. Looking down she saw her perfect soldier, resting peacefully on top of her, bringing a smile to her face.
"Mmm...Heero, Heero wake up."
She massaged his neck, all the while calling his name. Her voice rang through his head, awakening him almost instantly. He grunted as he shifted his body. Prussian blue eyes opened slightly, and Heero could feel the pain in his back as he tried to raise himself up.
"Hey, take it easy. Are you alright?"
He looked towards the source of the voice beneath him, and caught the soft look in Relena's eyes, as she brought her hand up to his cheek.
"Hn."
There was an immense pain in his head, back, and hip, and it was almost excruciating to move off of her. He flopped over to his side, eyes switching from the ceiling to the smiling face of Duo. He scowled at his friend's goofy face, bringing his hands up to massage his aching temples. It took him a while to be free from his drowsiness, since his head wasn't feeling as sharp as it could be at the moment.
Duo smiled devilishly at his now awake comrades. "Well you two, as much as I'd love to leave you all snuggled up and comfy-cozy, Zechs is outside and we have to get Relena out of here before he throws a fit."
Relena's eyes widened at the mention of her brother.
"Your kidding, Milliardo is here?"
He nodded, smiling strangely.
"Crap, he's going to kill me for sure."
Sally came up to them sitting on the side of the bed. Heero looked over now, more aware of the situation. He was slightly confused to find Relena with him when he woke up, until he remembered the events of last night...
"Ok listen, Hilde is coming right now with a food tray roller. It'll have a table cloth over it, so when she brings it in here, Relena, you'll, have to climb in and get out while we distract Zechs. Heero you have to help with that. He came to see you in the first place."
Relena nodded, while Heero just massaged his throbbing head.
Zechs was beginning to lose his patience, and he got up to call upon them once more. It surely couldn't take this long to wake Heero up and give him medicine. Something was up. Knocking came from the door, but it wasn't Zechs. The tall blonde turned over to the entrance door.
"Room service!"
He walked over, opening the door to a woman dressed in a less than modest maid's dress, face held down low as she barged in with a large cart with two covered platters on it. Zechs had to step back quickly to avoid getting run over by the rushing maid.
"Food from the kitchen for Heero Yuy!"
The bedroom door flung open and Duo let the girl in.
"Uh, Heero's up but he needs to eat something before coming out, or else he'll be all dizzy and stuff. We'll be out in a jiffy!"
The door was shut and locked again, and Zechs let out a frustrated sigh before returning to his seat.
"Ok Relena hop in." Hilde winked at her friend who sighed and mumbled something about how absurd the situation was.
Sally gave Heero his pills and he swallowed them quietly, still trying to overcome his lack of awareness. God he felt so slow!
"Ok everyone ready?" Sally made sure they were all in place. Relena was safely tucked under the cloth, Hilde holding the handle tightly with Duo beside her to block her face from Zechs. Sally and Heero were to walk out first, in order to keep some of the attention off the cart.
Zechs' head shot up at the sound of the door unlocking.
'Finally...'
He stood up, straightening himself as they entered. Sally and Heero walked in. Zechs noticed the slight wavering in his usually firm steps, and he could tell the pilot wasn't fully recovered at the moment.
He opened his mouth to greet them when a flashing white object flew through the background.
"Hey! Zechs! There's Heero for you. Well, I'm going to go check on Hilde now! See ya!"
Duo rushed to the door, maid and cart beside him. Zechs' eyes noticed the girl whose face was still blocked, attention returning to Sally and Heero only after they made a quick exit.
"Hello Yuy, how are you feeling?"
"I've been better."
His voice sounded tired but it still withheld its firmness.
"Well, I came here to discuss an issue with you, but if it's more convenient, I'll come back later when you're feeling better."
"Whatever suits you. Your laptop was quite useful by the way, it's on the counter."
Sally decided to intervene before Zech actually did question Heero. In his state, the boy could hardly work his brain to follow orders let alone answer Zechs' bombardment of questions.
"I think it'll be better to talk to him later Zechs. He still needs a lot of rest, he just woke up."
Zechs nodded in return, though he felt disappointed that coming there was a complete waste. Wishing Heero a quick recovery, he grabbed his suitcase from the counter and left for Relena's room.
Hearing the door shut behind him, Sally sighed, flopping onto one of the couches.
"Phewww, that was a close one."
Heero took a seat on the opposite couch, sinking his pounding head into his hands.
"What do we have planned for today."
Sally looked over at the man before her. "Well, nothing really. Yesterday Zechs, Noin, Anna and Charlie planned to have a day out together today to catch up and so on. The rest of us decided to stay here and check out the pool and mansion entertainment. That comes as an advantage to you, since we won't be going out anywhere."
It did make him feel better to know he wasn't holding them back from anything, and he raised his head to look at her, now feeling a bit more awake.
"I suggest you get lots of rest. But walk around too, you need some exercise to keep your body working."
He nodded, looking out the window, where the sun was beginning to paint the sky with its streaks of gold and red.
"You had quite a shake up yesterday. Duo had to get Relena to come in to calm you down. Do you remember?"
Heero's mind played back scenes from the nightmare, the sickening horror of watching her fall. But he did remember waking up, only to be confused even more until he saw her come in. Yes he remembered, he remembered the way she as holding him tight, caressing him with her touch. She whispered reassuring words to him, and at moments he felt her soft lips bless his skin with gentle kisses. It was amazing how she had calmed his wild senses, and he had to admit, he had had the best sleep of his life last night.
The sudden gentleness in his eyes answered her question. His look remained on the awakening sky outside.
Sally smiled at her worn out friend, and decided it best she left.
"Well, I'll be leaving you. Remember take it easy and take that medication every 8 hours. I'll check up on you later."
He looked over at her, nodding his goodbye as she left the room.
Images of waking up with the feeling of Relena's hands over him and her body beneath drowned his mind. It felt so good to have her close, something he could easily get addicted to.
Relena...
He got up to open the window, welcoming in the fresh breeze. It preformed a hypnotic dance on his face, soothing him to a point where he felt like falling straight back to sleep. So retreating to the couch close by, he let his body relax, giving in to the spells cast by the incoming gentle wind.
vvvvvvv
They had reached her room within 5 minutes, and she thanked Hilde and Duo as they rode off together. She couldn't help but laugh as she watched Duo tease the poor maid playfully, obviously enjoying the outfit he had requested her to wear.
She took a shower almost immediately, rushing to get ready for Milliardo would probably be on his way there that very moment. Sure enough as she exited the bathroom in the comfy robe left for her, she heard his voice calling from the door after a series of knocks.
"Hey Milliardo!" She smiled at her brother from her place behind the door.
"Hi, how are you feeling?"
"Better. I was just in the shower."
"Must have been a long shower, I was knocking at your door about half an hour ago."
"Oh! Well yea, I was feeling sore so I stayed in there for a while." She smiled innocently at her stern faced sibling.
"Alright, I was just going to see how you're doing. I'll see you downstairs for breakfast."
She waved goodbye, closing the door after he left.
sigh 'Well, glad that's over with!'
And so she began to get dressed, thoughts of the morning's events flowing through her mind...
vvvvvvvvv
I'm sorry if you guys didn't like the action, but it's in order to keep the plot moving. Besides, accidents bring people closer and there is a lot more FLUFF and vacationing on the way I promise!!!
I will now like to take a moment to thank ALL MY REVIEWERS WHO ARE SOO FABULOUS! KISSES! If I forgot your name, (I doubt I did but anyway) let me know and ill add it in the next chapter. Huggles to those who reviewed more than once. Hee hee...
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