Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or its characters. I don't claim that Quatre would do as he is doing in this story, he is not normally so. . .um. . .horny? '. . .oye, I need some help.
Chapter 32
Man. . .what time is it? My head hurts. . .Rachel opened her eyes to find it almost pitch black except for a dim light coming from far away. She sat up and looked around, seeing everyone sound asleep on their cots. Blinking to adjust her eyes to the darkness, she stood up and walked toward the source of the light. Whispering, she said, "Verein, why do you have your targeting lasers on?"
I was told to-
"Shh, lower the decibels a bit, okay? People are sleeping." Rachel hissed. In a lower tone, Verein started over.
I was told to turn them on.
"By who?"
"By me." Rachel turned and saw Quatre walking up.
"Quatre, what are you doing up? Do you know what time it is?"
3:45 P.M.
"Thank you, Verein." Rachel sighed.
"I can't sleep, did the light wake you?" Quatre asked.
"No, I just woke up, no reason. It should be daybreak in about an hour, Chang usually wakes with the sun but since he can't see the light maybe he won't." Quatre nodded and turned away, saying, "I thought you might not wake up again, you've been sleeping since lunchtime."
"Yeah, that teleport and mind reading really wore me out, I should work on my power limits. . ." Rachel giggled.
"Since neither of us can sleep, would you like me to show you my favorite part of these caves? It's not far away, just about 10 minutes walk but it's worth it."
"Sure, lead the way!" Rachel smiled. They walked off into the cave, quietly strolling through the passages and finally coming to the place Quatre had mentioned.
"Can you illuminate the cavern?" Quatre asked.
"Sure, here." Rachel stretched out her hand and a small ball of light formed in her hand, floating out into the room. Suddenly, the walls of the cavern lit up in a brilliant golden glint of calcite crystals formed on the walls, reflecting the light in all its glory. Rachel gasped in amazement as she whispered, "Oh Quatre, it's beautiful!"
"So are you. . ." Quatre whispered. She looked at him in surprise as she said, "What did you say?"
"So, you like the view? It's called Kristallpalast, crystal palace in English in case it wasn't clear enough before."
"I see. . ." Rachel eyed him briefly before looking back at the cave. Quatre glanced at her out of the corner of his eye as he said, "It's very old, takes a long time for those crystals to form. . ."
"I'm sure. Maybe we should head back to the cavern, it might be getting to morning and I don't want them getting suspicious of anything."
"Right. . ." Quatre turned and Rachel displaced the light into the darkness as she followed him, leaving the walk back darker than before. As she came up behind Quatre, he stumbled in his step a bit as he clutched his stomach, moaning in pain.
"Quatre!" Rachel exclaimed, running to catch him before he fell to the ground in agony.
"I'm fine, don't wo-" Quatre tried to wave her off but the pain was unbearable. She laid him down and began to unbutton his shirt. He grabbed her hands as he said, "What are you doing!"
"Trying to get a better look at what's wrong, now hold still." She finished unbuttoning his shirt and touched his stomach. He moaned as she said, "Where does it hurt?"
"Rachel, please. . ."
"Tell me." She said sternly. He hesitated for a minute before reaching his hand down to his abdomen, a bit below his belt. She starting undoing his pants and his eyes widened.
"Rachel?" Quatre exclaimed as she pulled his pants down a bit to get to the source of the problem. She touched his skin as she said, "Don't move, I think I know what might be wrong. . ." Suddenly, her hand melted into his skin and seemed to disappear inside his body. With a nervous gasp, Quatre cried out in pain and surprise. She stayed still for a few minutes as she probed for the problem until she found it and quickly solved it. Pulling her hand back out, she said, "I was right, your appendix was inflamed and close to bursting, if I hadn't gotten in there you might not have lived long." He stared blankly at her as he sat up, looking deep into her eyes with fear and nervous sweat rolling down his cheek. She leaned back and said, "You're okay now, don't look so scared."
"You undid my pants. . .and my shirt. . .just like that. . ." Quatre said, his chest slowly rising and falling with each of his deep breaths.
"I'm sorry, I didn't want you to die! Quatre, what would you have rather me done!"
"Kiss me. . ." Quatre leaned toward her, his hand quickly slipping behind her head.
"Wha-" She tried to protest but it was too late. His soft lips met hers and he leaned in more, passionately kissing her lips and pulling her close to him. She melted into his embrace, losing her mind in the feverish passion building inside her, a hot chill running from her lips down her body. She fell back against the ground, feeling Quatre's hands working their way through her hair as her own hands ran up his arms to his sweaty blonde locks. His right hand slipped down to her waist as he pulled her up to his body, kissing her neck as her head fell back limply, letting out a light gasp.
Oh my gosh. . .I can't get away from his. . .warm lips. . .where am I. . .Rachel's thoughts were lost in her equally lost mind as she tried to come to her senses.
"Say something. . ." Quatre whispered in her ear, gently blowing into it, giving her chills.
"I. . .I love Duo. . ." Rachel muttered, her eyes glazing over.
"Do you always hide behind that line?" Quatre said, nuzzling her cheek with his nose before kissing it. He took a deep breath and kissed her shoulder, his left arm wrapping around her back and caressing her shoulder blades in slow passing massages. Her eyes widened as he gently bit her shoulder, moaning slightly.
"Are you gonna eat me now?" Rachel said in a spacey sarcasm. Quatre couldn't help laughing as he said, "Maybe. . .you taste good. . ."
"That's surprising since I haven't had a shower in over a week. . ." Rachel muttered.
"Mmm. . ." Quatre licked her ear and she said, "Why don't you just get out a fork and knife and dig in already?"
"I don't have any silverware on me. . ." Quatre whispered.
"I have a knife in my pocket and it's good for carving up back stabbing, so-called friends." Quatre looked up to see Duo's silhouette a few feet away. Rachel looked at him upside down as she gasped, saying, "Duo. . ."
"I thought you loved me, Rachel. . .all this time when I've been feeling bad for doubting you you've been making love to Quatre behind my back. I should have known it was too good to be true."
"You don't deserve her, Duo, at least I understand her. . ." Quatre said, his voice low and his eyes staring into Duo's soul through the darkness outside and within.
"I'll kill you." Duo growled.
"Oh yeah? Who's gonna believe that I was making out with your girlfriend? No one listens to you, you're nothing but a troublemaking orphan, no one wants you around." Quatre grinned maniacally.
"No. . .it's not true, Quatre stop. . ." Rachel gasped, looking desperately at Duo. Turning, Duo ran away back to the cave, not looking back once as he disappeared into the darkness. Rachel pushed Quatre off and scrambled to her feet, running after Duo as Quatre followed her all the way back to the cave.
This isn't happening. . .Rachel thought as she saw Duo staring down Zechs who looked less than threatened.
"What are you talking about! She was in your head, she controlled you!" Duo screamed.
"You're just jealous because she wants me more than she cares to even look at you." Zechs responded. He looked toward Rachel, just now noticing her presence in the room as Duo looked as well. Quatre stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against his body as he kissed her shoulder again, glaring darkly at the two feuding men.
"Quatre, get off of me!" Rachel writhed free of his grip and ran away, stopping in the middle of the three testosterone driven males as she panted for air, looking wildly around the love triangle she had gotten herself stuck in.
"What's going on? Zechs?" Noin walked toward them, hearing the argument and becoming curious.
"You don't want me, your minds are just scrambled! I can fix it!" Rachel shouted. Trowa sat up on his bed and looked over at the conversation, wondering what was going on. Finally, the whole group was up and confused by the fight.
"I'm perfectly fine, there's nothing wrong with me. . ." Quatre said.
"No, you're wrong, I don't understand why but it's something having to do with my powers. . ." Rachel said desperately.
"Your power over me is all that I can feel. . .you can't help being so attractive you know. . ." Quatre stepped toward her and she backed away.
"No, stop, this isn't happening!" Rachel clutched her head in her hands, her mind reeling with confusion.
"You've been dreaming of me, you should have known this would happen, your dreams don't lie. . ." Zechs said. Rachel looked up at him suddenly, saying, "How did you know about that dream?"
"Dream! You've been dreaming about him!" Duo glared at her as his fists balled up tightly at his sides.
"No, it's not like that, please stop this!"
"You can't stop a deep feeling, it's not possible." Quatre said, inching toward her again.
"Back off, Blondie, she's mine. Besides, what do you have that I don't have ten times better of?" Zechs shot at Quatre.
"You're blonde too, you baka! You're obviously too thick headed and vain to even understand what she wants, so you back off!" Quatre yelled back.
"You're all thick headed!" Rachel screamed. Zechs went for his gun as Quatre tackled him and started wrestling with him over the weapon. Rachel stared on in horror as bullets flew here and there, coming close to killing both of the boys. Rachel looked up at Duo, starting to run toward him as she said, "Duo, it's not real, it's all in their heads! Please, believe-" One of the stray bullets hit her in the side and she collapsed to the floor in pain, screaming in agony. Duo stared wide-eyed at her, unable to move.
"Rachel! This has to stop, somebody do something!" Relena said, her hands over her mouth as she bit on her fingers in fear.
"Zechs, stop this! You're an OZ Lieutenant, you were trained to respond to situations with dignity and POISE! This is NOT dignified!" Noin yelled to the mess of blonde hair and hormones rolling across the floor.
"What are you doing, you're not children, stop fighting over Rachel like she's a prize to be had!" Chang yelled.
"This isn't like Quatre, why's he acting this way?" Trowa said as he stared at the quarrel on the ground. Slowly, painfully, Rachel reached out to Duo, saying weakly, "Duo. . .please. . ." He didn't respond as he stared blankly at her. Struggling painfully, Rachel managed to get to her feet as she stumbled a bit and walked toward her Gundam in a zigzag path.
"Rachel, where are you going?" Relena called out.
"Can't. . .take. . .this. . ." Rachel muttered through her clenched jaw, her eyes wide with shock. Blood fell to the ground leaving a small trail from where she had fallen over to the feet of Verein as Rachel climbed into the cockpit and started it up. Like a wild lightning bolt, she took off out of the cave and through the passage, heading for the open air. She nearly collided with Heero's gundam as she busted out into the early morning sunlight.
"What the. . .where's she off to?" Heero said aloud as he watched the crazed looking Gundam swerve back and forth through the air until finally it took a nose dive into the ground, tumbling over onto its back and laying motionless with its crunched face staring up at the dark sky. A storm was brewing outside and thunder shook the ground, echoing through the cave in a low rumble. The cockpit slowly opened on Verein and Rachel climbed out, closing it again and sitting on her Gundam's chest hunched over with pain. Heero walked out to the entrance of the cave, watching as the sky grew darker with morbid looking clouds, almost shadowing Rachel's feelings.
What's going on? Doesn't she even realize she's out in a storm? Heero thought as he blinked, staring blankly at her. Finally she sat up, her head falling back as a ear-shattering scream exploded from her mouth, almost in timing with a lightning bolt that strike the ground, shaking the cave. Heero's eyes widened as he watched bolt after blinding bolt of lightning struck the ground around Rachel's Gundam, forming almost a electric tornado, ripping the ground up in its wake. Heero heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Relena running frantically up to him.
"Rachel!" Relena screamed. The ground began to quake under their feet and Relena fell into Heero's arms. They collapsed to the ground and Relena held onto Heero as they watched rain begin to fall, soaking the dark world outside.
"Is she doing this?" Heero whispered as he watched on in horror, lightning striking the cave and cracking huge boulders from the face of the opening. Relena screamed as Heero pulled her back out of harm's way, nearly being crushed by falling rubble.
My sorrows have come to devour me alive. . .Rachel thought as she stared up at the sky, watching a huge bolt of lightning crash down on her, sending electricity surging through her body. With a another shriek, her eyes flashed white, light pouring out of her body and swallowing the landscape in its brilliance. Heero and Relena shielded their eyes from the hurtful glow as the earthquake came to its apex and caused more of the cave walls to crumble to the ground. As quickly as the sudden disaster began it ceased, leaving dust and light fading showers behind as a vague reminder that it wasn't a dream. Heero weakly opened an eye to peek out at the destruction left behind, seeing a vague glow still out in the darkness.
"R. . .Rachel. . ." Relena muttered, struggling to sit up but collapsing in helplessness. The glow grew brighter as it approached the cave, revealing it to be none other than the one they had been calling to all along.
"What happened to her?" Heero said, astonished and shocked senseless. Looking like a lifeless shell, Rachel's body floated through the cave over the couple's heads, illuminating the way back to the campout.
"Heero, we. . .we should. . ." Relena gasped.
"Come on, we'll follow her." Heero said, getting up and helping Relena to her feet. They ran as fast as they could to catch up to their friend. Returning to the camp, they watched as she fell to the ground.
"Rachel!" Quatre exclaimed, running over to her. He collapsed at her side, reaching down and pulling her into his lap, looking into her colorless eyes with a gasp.
"You shouldn't have touched me. . ." She muttered breathlessly. Blinking in confusion, Quatre frowned and said, "But. . .wh-" Suddenly, with a agonizing scream, Quatre's back began to shutter. Like a burst of light, long and brilliantly white wings grew out of his back, flying out and slowly floating to the ground as Quatre gasped and fell over, beginning to tremble in shock.
"What the HECK!" Chang exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise at the sudden angelic form Quatre had taken on. One of Quatre's wings fell over his body and concealed him from sight as he moaned and whimpered in fear. Duo slowly walked out from the tent, staring blankly at the sight before him, an emotionless look on his face. Relena started toward Rachel but Heero grabbed her and pulled her back.
"Heero, she needs help!" Relena exclaimed, fighting to get free.
"No, I don't want the same to happen to you, don't touch her!" Heero demanded, pulling her roughly back into his arms. Relena began to cry as she stretched out a hand, the other struggling to pull Heero's arms away from her. Zechs cautiously approached the winged boy laying finally motionless on the ground by Rachel, saying, "Quatre?" He knelt next to his body and gently touched the wing draped over his face, pulling it back to reveal a surprising sight. Relena gasped, whispering, "Oh my gosh. . .he's. . ."
