)
The Fates Will Prevails
When it was time to go and Eve could sense Darius's presence nearby she stood up, dusted herself off then hesitated a moment before offering him a hand up. His surprise at the gesture plain Quatre none the less took the hand without a hint of caution and Eve helped him up without yanking his arm which she was known to do to others who expected her to help them up. Looking at the ground for a moment then meeting his eyes when he didn't let go of her hand Eve tugged but he didn't let it go. "I need my hand back." Eve said with a you wanna do what I say look on her face.
"Whatever for?" Quatre asked with something very close to mischief in his eyes.
"To leave for one thing unless you want me to cut your hand off so that I have to take it with me." Eve said sweetly, her smile the same though there was a barely visibly edge to it. "Now let go, Quatre and I mean it."
"But I like it where it is." Quatre returned, bringing her hand to his lips so that he could kiss the back of it. "I like your hand very much along with everything its attached to."
"That had has been soaked in the blood of other formerly living human beings." Eve countered, her eyes hardening. "Not the sort of hand a pacifist politicians wants to hold, much less be seen holding."
"And my hands are clean? You'd think with all the research you've done it would have sunk in that I was a soldier, a Gundam pilot who took the lives of people and have stood over more dead then I care to think about. Some by my own hands. More so I don't believe in judging people by what others think of them. I judge them by what I think and I think I'd like very much to continue to hold your hand." Quatre said and now there was a sharp edge to his voice, a look in his eye that was very much a man of war's, Eve thought as her breath quickened slightly. Sure she had read the reports but..to look at him, in all her time spent with him..well until now it hadn't been possible to look at Quatre and see the pilot behind the smile. Now she was. "I think I know more about you now and I'm learning more everyday. I'm still here."
)
"Ya...you are." Eve said, her eyes softening for a moment behind the shades she wore, her protection against him and herself. The eyes weren't called the windows to the soul for nothing. "And the more I learn about you the more I see someone I could admire and that's a very rare thing. But I can't afford to like you, Quatre. I can't afford to stay around you and let you hold my hand."
"Why can't you?" Quatre asked softly, bringing her hand up again, this time to lay her hand against his cheek with his hand over it, trapping it there as he never took his eyes off her. Patiently waiting for her to answer.
"Because if I let myself like you, let you get in then I risk not just getting hurt but hurting you as well. My heart..has been torn and blackened..and what's left is very small with the remaining pieces already taken by the people I've let in. There are only four people in this world and colonies that I give a damn about...and well three of them aren't even by choice. I don't have anything to give you except my mind and my body, the first is a place no one wants to go into anyway least of all me." Eve said with a twisted smirk, her eyes however revealing a world of hurt and pain. Her mind was full of darkness and shadows, a hell just for her. "Let go of my hand, Quatre. Let go and walk away."
"If you didn't like me you wouldn't be here now." Quatre pointed out quietly, hurting for her and what she wasn't saying but that he knew without having to hear it. The suffering and the pain, the hell she lived in could be seen and heard easily to him, an empathic. "I'm an empath remember? People's feeling and emotions are constantly washing over me, especially the dark ones because they're the most powerful, crying to be heard at all times to gain more power. But even in the darkness there is light, I can feel yours. M heart has been ripped and torn at too but its big, it has to be with so many people in my life. But there's a hard chunk of it that belongs to no one. A piece of me I've been saving all these years, waiting for the right person to give it to. Maybe it was meant to be yours. Then you're heart would be big enough to have room for one more person." Quatre said as he let go of her hand and stepped forward, taking her face between his hands. "Nothing is impossible." Quatre added before lowering his head to kiss her gently, so softly as though she were made of glass and might break if he wasn't so very, very careful. Too overcome with emotion to pull away Eve simply stood there then to her amazement felt tears well up in her eyes, something that hadn't happened since she'd wept over the body of her sister Sarah. After that the tears had stopped and had never surfaced again until now. A few sliding down her cheek Eve hugged herself against him for a moment then breaking free took off running leaving Quatre behind as she ran like the devil himself was after her. She was the moth and he was the flame. Irresistible to her but likely to not just burn her but perhaps even burn her alive in his heat.
)
Later that day
"Trowa, phone." Trowa looked up to Keyda smiling down at him as he lay in their bed eating away. He'd slept in that morning and was only now eating breakfast even though pretty soon it would be lunch. Now this was certainly the life or would be if Keyda was coming to join him instead of telling him that he had a phone call.
"Who'd be calling me here?" Trowa said setting down his spoon into his cereal, hoping that whoever it was it wasn't bad news because right now he wanted to pretend there was no such thing as bad news. Not that that was going to happen any time soon knowing his luck.
"It's Darius. He says he needs to talk to you and that it's important." Keyda said leaning down to nuzzle his neck affectionately, placing some kisses along his neck while he smiled at the caress. Trowa turned and placed a quick kiss on her cheek before with a sigh dragging himself out of bed. " Then I guess I better go see what he wants." Trowa said with regret as he stood up and setting his feet down on the plush carpet moved over to give her a quick hug then grabbing a quick kiss Trowa walked over to the phone and picked it up.
"This had better be important, Darius." Trowa said with a grin as he watched Keyda help herself to some of the fruit in the middle of the table. He'd had plans for those strawberries too. "I was having breakfast in bed. Interrupting one of those is a crime punishable by death in my book friend or not."
)
"It is, Trowa. Trust me on this." Darius said seriously as he sat behind his desk, absently throwing an eraser from hand to hand while he talked. "Believe me Keyda made it quite clear as to what would happen to me if I called without a very good reason. She was unfortunately very graphic as to what she'd have Eve do to me. I'm still having nightmares in fact."
"What is it, Darius?" Trowa said leaning up against the wall with a sigh, his mind moving a mile a minute. Please God just let everyone be okay, that was all he was asking. He knew that they'd called in JC but he certainly wasn't worried in that area. The boy could handle himself and besides he knew the kid was on his way home as they spoke without a scratch on him. If he weren't Eve would have gone on a bloody rampage that would have been all over the news and papers, Trowa thought with a slight smirk. No one did protective like Eve did.
"Noin asked me to find you because they need you to come to the Preventers office, Trowa. It's so important that she wouldn't tell me what it's about." Darius said, his voice grim as he left the eraser in his right hand. "I did my best to charm information out of her but she wouldn't budge at all. Told me that it was classified and she couldn't tell me even if she wanted to which she didn't. I've been monitoring her calls and e-mail along with everyone else's but I don't have any solid leads. They're being very careful what they talk about now."
"I'll be there tonight or early tomorrow morning depending on how things go here." Trowa said with a sigh of regret. So much for his vacation. The question was, was he leaving paradise for a relatively normal meeting or to doom. This sounded serious and to call him in, especially when he'd told the guys he was going on holidays meant something had to be seriously up. The question was had they figured out anything important or still chasing their tails in the dark? Trowa knew that it wouldn't be long before they started to make connections he didn't want them to make until this was all over. Unfortunately there wasn't any sure fire way to make sure that that happened..
"I'll tell them I couldn't get a hold of you and you can come in tomorrow." Darius said sympathetically knowing exactly what Trowa was being forced to leave early. Keyda and Trowa never seemed to get much us time and Darius felt lower then dirt for interrupting their rare vacation time, especially when they both seriously needed it. Darius owed the two of them his life and he wished that there was a way to make it so that they could be together in the open instead of in the shadows. Unfortunately as long as Keyda's grandfather was alive that wasn't going to happen. .
"Thanks, Dar. See you tomorrow and don't work too hard. Actually since it's you work hard, you might learn to like it." Trowa said as he tried to cheer Darius up slightly. He could tell the younger man was really sorry and Trowa didn't want him blaming himself for screwing up the vacation thing. If Darius had said he couldn't get a hold of him then one of the guys would have gone searching which would have been a problem. This was the definite choice of the two unfair choices.
"Sorry, Trowa. Bye." Darius said before hanging up, smirking into the air for a moment before getting started on the paperwork he'd been supposed to be starting an hour ago. What could he say but that he was lazy and knew he could bribe Eve into doing them for him later. But since he had nothing better to do he might as well start it. Just to see the shock on Eve's face when she realized what's he'd done as opposed to reading his comic books or doodling.
"What is it, Trowa?" Keyda said coming from behind to wrap her arms around his waist, cuddling against his back even though she had an idea from what she'd overheard on this end of the phone.
Feeling her head pressed against his back Trowa smiled sadly. "I've been called in to Preventers, Darius doesn't know what it's about."
"I'll come with you." Keyda said tightening her grip. "I'll stay at Eve's townhouse. If it's bad enough that they're calling you in then I should be close by just in case."
"I'd rather be here with you."
"Ditto."
)
Sitting at her desk Noin was busy typing up a report when she heard the sound of a knocking on her door. Calling out to whoever it was to enter Noin looked up to see her temporary assistant walk into the room with his usual happy grin. Come to think of it she'd ever seen him looking remotely serious. "What's up, Darius?"
"I actually finished that report you wanted already and I wanted to tell you that I got a hold of Mr. Barton as requested but due to delays he won't be able to get here till tomorrow. He sends his regrets and will get here as quick as humanly possible." Darius said with a mock salute as he dropped the papers he'd brought with him on her desk. "Are you all right, Commander? You look a little pale." Darius said, his face changing into concern as he looked at her. She really was pale and looked more then a little exhausted. "If you want I could call down to Sally or you could head home early, I could catch you up on your paperwork or at least do what I'm allowed to do."
"Thanks, Darius but I'll be fine. I just have a slight stomach virus or something." Noin said as she made a face at him ruefully. "I'm trying the tried and true cure known as ignoring it."
"Which is a lousy cure." Darius said as he came around the desk to Noin's shock and before she could even comment he had his hand on her forehead. "Well you don't have a temperature though you're a bit warm. Open your mouth and stick out your tongue."
"No." Noin said in a laugh, amused and touched by her aid's actions. "It's nothing really. Now go back to your desk and pretend to do paperwork before you get in trouble. If I feel like I need to lay down or need Sally I'll let you know. I promise."
"Well if you say so." Darius said having no intention of leaving it at that. Walking out of the office Darius headed straight back to the phone and dialed Milliardo's extension. Getting the man's secretary Darius was put on hold until finally Milliardo's voice came over the phone to ask what he wanted. "Hello, General. I'm calling because your wife is ill and she won't do anything about it."
"Noin is ill?" Milliardo said, his tone losing some of its chill.
"I think so, sir. She doesn't have a temperature but she looks really pale to me and exhausted. I can't get her to take a break or go see Doctor Po so I thought perhaps you could convince her to do one or the other. She's been working really hard but she seems a lot more worn down then usual these last couple of days so I'm thinking maybe she's fighting the flu or exhaustion."
"I'll take care of it..thanks for the call." Milliardo said, forcing himself to get the words out. He didn't like the way the kid was so chummy around Noin but the kid had risked Noin's wrath calling him and he owed the boy for that. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.
"No problem, General. Just doing my job." Darius said with a smile and after exchanging good byes Darius hung up and looking at his pile of paperwork grimaced then started on depleting the pile.
)
Meanwhile at her desk Eve was busy working away when the phone rang. Picking it up Eve relayed the same information she'd been relaying for the last few days to the party coordinator who seemed determined to drive Eve insane. Now that there were only a few hours left before the bash the woman was going nuts questioning every single decision she'd made from when to serve the main course to what music should be played. After smoothing out the feats Eve sent up an I hate you to the big guy upstairs before turning back to her computer only to hear someone clearing their throat. Rising her head Eve bit back a groan when her eyes landed on Quatre's face. Of all the dirt luck. Why couldn't it be the reincarnation of Jack the Ripper or a terrorist. She could deal with them no problem. "Can I help you, Mr. Winner?"
Puzzled for a moment Quatre tilted his head to the side questioning. There was something about the way she'd looked at him there for a moment that reminded him of someone but he couldn't quite place it. He was great with faces though so he was sure that it would come to him. "I'm just waiting for Relena to get done with her meeting so that we can go over a few things. Are you looking forward to the party tonight?"
"Actually I'm not going, prior plans that I couldn't break." Eve said with what she hoped would pass for regret. Actually she was going to spend her night watching over the people attending the party only undercover which was bound to be boring unless something went wrong. She'd prefer that it simply remain boring. If everything went well Darius would take over the watch after her and then she cold go home for a soak in the tub and some well deserved calorie filled pizza. She didn't think that was too much to ask. "But I'm sure you'll have a lovely time, Mr. Winner."
"As the room will be full of stuff shirted politicians and fortune hunters I highly doubt that but at least the food is supposed to be good according to Relena." Quatre said with a boyish grin then fading slightly as he looked at Eve. She was always so emotionless, Quatre thought, the fact both intriguing and worrying him. He never got any strong emotional waves from her and if he didn't know better he'd think she were a machine. Or she was simply one of those people who could hold their emotions in check like Trowa. He rarely got any sense of Trowa's feelings either, Quatre thought with a sigh. "Well I'm sorry you can't come. Date?" Quatre asked then seeing the look on her face, a combination of shock and something he couldn't pinpoint Quatre hurried to make amends. "I didn't mean to..I apologize. I shouldn't have asked something that personal."
"No...it's alright and no..I don't have a date. I'm..I'm babysitting for a friend." Eve said with a weak smile, hoping that he'd just go. Ever second near him was turning into torture and she was going to lose her mind shortly if he kept looking at her with those eyes of his. They were damn close to hypnotic.
"Really? Well I hope the kid or kids are good for you. Depending on their ages they can be quite a handful." Quatre said with a grin then seeing people filing out of Relena's office turned back to smile at Eve. 'Well that's my cue. Have a good evening."
"You too." Eve said and watching him go had the strangest feeling that babysitting him and his friends was not going to result in her having a good evening at all. Damn but she needed a vacation.