6: The eyes of faint, the eyes of the dictator

The sound of a train coming to a screeching halt in a moderate pace echoed through the train station, the conductor stepped off the train leaving the door open for all the many passengers seated on the train as he looked around the cold snowy area. Heero was considerably cold and wished he had brought a heavier jacket along with him, he also wished he had kept the nice jacket Noin had given himself and Trowa when they went to Antarctica.

He sat beside Relena who had brought Pegan along with her for the trip only to help them with their luggage. He watched the honey blonde girl rise from her seat and pull him along with her down the narrow pathway of the train with an excited smile on her face. Heero figured she was just happy that she wasn't at her office sitting at her desk covered with peace-treaty papers. Relena looked back at the stoic Asian with a sparkling eyes as they stepped off the train. The two of them stepped to the sidelines beside Pegan who had successfully managed to get their luggage off the train with a bout of complaining letting the others step off the train.

Duo and Hilde came out first, Hilde was considerably excited about the entire trip as she tugged Duo over where Heero and co. were standing, half of her face was covered by her wool scarf and her ears protected by her earmuffs. Heero tried not to say anything about her over-prepared self because Duo had shot a glance toward him that meant 'shut-up.' Heero reluctantly respected the braided boy's wishes and said nothing. Wufei stepped off followed by Jin and Trowa, next was Quatre and Dorothy, and last of their friends to get off the train were Catherine, Mariemaia, and Ryuusei who was dressed in Relena's old winter clothing.

The four year old girl looked around everyone's legs and spotted Heero beside Relena. She wanted to run over to him but Catherine intervened by gathering Ryuusei up in her arms. The girl did not protest instead she remained still in Catherine's arms as the young woman followed after everyone. Dido decided to just tag along for the ride knowing her presence would only be a hindrance on their trip. She would leave with Pegan after he lead them to the cabin they were staying in. She would be waiting for him in the gift shop from across the train-station.

Heero sneezed unwillingly catching the attention of all around him. Particularly Duo. He watched the grin appear on his friends face and he slowly lifted his jacket up revealing his gun, Duo shuddered in mock-fear and returned his attention back to Hilde was busy straightening his jacket out and playing with his bangs afterward. Jin came up to Relena with less than pleasant look on his face, the European teenager smiled pleasantly at Jin immediately getting a reaction from him.

"Uhh... can we go someplace warmer? Its fre--ezing in this train station, Relena," Jin stammered. Relena smiled and lead him away toward the exit of the station. Heero narrowed his eyes in suspicion and followed after him, everyone else followed suit. Hilde watched Jin with perplexed aquamarine eyes; he was becoming extremely talkative with her friend and began to wonder why he was such a chatter box with her and so silent around the rest of them? Brushing the thought off as nothing she turned attention to Duo.

His nose was a pinkish color, it was something it did when winter came around yet it still lead Hilde to believe he had a cold. But whenever she'd check him in his sleep he showed no signs of such. Placing her mittened hand into his grasp she stared down at her feet nervously wondering if there was something she could possibly get the American to talk to her about long enough to have an actual conversation. "Hey, Duo?" She said timidly.

Duo yawned sleepily turning his eyes toward her with a look of question in his eyes. "Yeah, Hilde?" He responded taking notice of her hand in his. Hilde paused for a moment inhaling long breaths. "I was wondering if----- well if you'd like to go ice skating with me? Wouldn't that be fun?" Hilde exclaimed with a jump. Duo's mouth pouted in confusion as he tried to imagine himself once ice skating around with Hilde; it seemed a bit girlish to him, He wanted to go snowboarding with Wufei and Heero instead but he didn't wanna hurt Hilde's feelings either.

"Uhh... I dunno, I've never been skating before and I----." Hilde jumped in front of him all the more excited from his reply. Duo stopped dead in his tracks stepping back automatically. "That's great, I can teach you!" Hilde proclaimed grasping both in his hands in hers. Duo blinked fearfully at the childish expression on her face, he hadn't seen so excited before. "C'mon it'll be fun, I promise! Please Duo??" Hilde pleaded standing on her tiptoes. "Uh--- I -- uh--- Hilde, I---," Duo stammered, his heart hammered hard against his chest.

He was stuck between Hilde and hard place, which was not his favorite place to be. Heero turned around noticing his friends plight, sighing he decided to speak up for him. "Not to worry Duo, we've got until Christmas Eve to Snowboard, you go ahead and skate with Hilde. I don't mind," He said impudently. Duo's face faltered in utter disbelief while Hilde jumped for joy. "Alight, then its' decided!" Hilde cried pulling Duo along with her. Wufei sighed shaking his head. Duo groaned mentally in dismay as he was dragged across the floor by the energetic German teenager.

[Preventers HQ]:

Zechs sat at his desk in his office typing away on the information Une forwarded to him, he tried his best to ignore Noin who was pacing back and forth behind him. His eyebrow twitched in annoyance, she had been doing this since he sat down at his desk. The 22-year-old woman was upset because she was on duty and couldn't join the others on their trip the mountains.

Zechs felt the same as she did but he tried to hold himself over with his work and telling her to sit down constantly. It was grinding his nerves to say the least. "Noin would you sit down? I need some help with this assignment!" He grumbled. Noin stopped her pacing for a moment then went back to pacing. Zechs' head fell onto his forearms in defeat. There was no way he was going to get his work finished with her pacing behind him so in a brilliant stoke of genius he rose from his seat and headed over to the pacing woman. He flung Noin over his shoulder.

"AHH! Zechs put be down! I'll stop pacing, put me down!" Noin exclaimed pounding on his back. Zechs did as she asked him but when he did she was standing at the front door, tousled and red in the face. "Let me know when you get over this," Zechs replied blandly shutting the door in her face. Noin stood dumbfounded at the door. He kicked her out of the office!! In huff the woman marched down the hall to her own office to go and pace in there. It wasn't right that Une put her and Zechs on duty while everyone else went out to have good time!

It was true that she wasn't fond of winter or the snow but anything was better than working, especially when you had to work with a peeved commander. Une had come storming in the building and into her office like a bad omen which was not something Noin was accustomed to at all. Zechs brushed it off as Une on another one of her PMS days, Noin gave a roll of her eyes as she entered her office. As if he knew anything about PMS, he was a man after all.

Placing herself atop her desk she picked up her electronic schedule book to see if there was anything on it to keep her occupied. The small pom-pilot came to life and displayed all the things she had written down: Feed Zechs' fish, Trim my bangs, Take Wufei's bodyguard duty on Friday, and Meet Une at her office on a briefing on of VFM's next conference after Christmas Day.

Noin sighed, there was nothing she had to do at the very moment. Placing the pom pilot back onto her desk Noin hopped off and headed over to the window. She pulled the blinds up, Noin stared dreamily out of her window with a look disappointment on her face. "It won't be until tomorrow until it snows again and I want to enjoy the cold I'm not fond of now!" Noin pressed her head against the cold window. God I'd do anything to go outside and fool around in the snow with Zechs by my side......, Noin leaned back and headed toward her spinning chair where her laptop awaited her. She flopped down in the leather chair and flicked on her Laptop awaiting the information to boot up. Resting her elbow upon her desk Noin propped her chin in the palm of her hand letting her mind drift of into daydream land.

The 11 vacationers and Pegan gazed upon the large wooden cabin Une had managed to rent for their trip in question. Heero was wondering why it was just down the hill and around the corner from the lodges that were probably a lot more comfortable than sleeping in a log cabin with sparse electricity. Duo said nothing and simply marched forward toward the door, stepping over the invisible threshold. Relena and the others followed after him. Duo turned the knob surprised to find the door was unlocked, he stepped inside with one hand clutching the strap of his backpack. He looked around in wonder; the inside looked like one of those log cabins he saw in one of the fancy vacation getaways for celebrities and famous writers.

"Whoa, Une's outdone herself," He uttered heading for the stairs. Jin ushered everyone inside the house being the one behind them. "Hmmm it seems decent enough, I just hope there aren't any roaches," Catherine said aloud admiring the wall lights set in every corner of the house. Wufei stepped through the entrance of the door and headed over to the kitchen for examination. Hilde shuffled into the house with her and Duo's baggage. She could not find Duo who had miraculously vanished from her side. He was not anywhere on the first floor. "Has anyone seen Duo?" She asked. "Up here, Hilde!" Came a response.

Hilde made her way up the stairs in a hurry. Relena helped Pegan with the last of the luggage setting it on the side. Trowa stood outside in front of Jin scanning the surrounding areas for anything out of the ordinary, Jin whom was behind him was quickly losing his patience with the Latin American teenager. Trowa turned to meet Jin's dull daze. The Korean tried his best to ignore the fact that Trowa stood over him like a towering building. "Jin did you ever get the feeling that someone was following you?" He asked barely above a whisper. Jin shrugged. "Besides Dido? No. Why Trowa?" The 13-year-old asked. Trowa glanced around cautiously before replying.

"Look I can't tell you much but someone is after you. Be careful of what you do and where you do it, understand?" Trowa placed his hands on the boy's shoulders, there was a sort of pleading look about his eyes. Jin got the feeling that he was being serious about all of this and decided it was wise not to crack a bad joke. "You've got my word, Trowa. Pinkie swear?" Trowa reluctantly wrapped his slender pinkie around the Korean's wearing a half-smile once his face. "Pinkie swear," Trowa repeated. The two entered the building reviving odd glances from Catherine and Dorothy, Trowa just smiled in their direction and shooed Jin into the kitchen.

Catherine came over to her friend's side with a concerned look on her face. "Is everything all right Trowa?" She asked resting a hand on his arm. Trowa's heart leapt at her touch. He was rendered speechless as he went red in the face, he nodded. Catherine accepted that response heading over to where the luggage was, she picked up her and Trowa's suitcases then headed up the stairs. Trowa exhaled once she left the room. Dorothy's lips curled in a devious smile before heading over to Quatre who was busy poking at the couches at the end of the living room.

She came up on him in a silent but brisk pace and draped her arms over his shoulders in a snakelike way. Quatre stared down at her maroon colored finger nails in question, he looked up at her with one his smile meant only for her grasping one of her hands in his. "I will enjoy this vacation very much," Dorothy laughed softly. "I'm glad to Dorothy," Quatre sighed turning himself around. Dorothy's arms slide from off his chest as he did so, the two them stood before each other smiling. "Let's go check out the upstairs floor!" Dorothy obliged and the two headed over to get their suitcases. Quatre lead Dorothy up the stairs by the hand, his mind on nothing but the bedrooms.

Heero leaned up against the wall with a pondering expression on his face as he watched with distant eyes as Relena said her good-byes to Pegan. "I'll be sure to send a postcard before I leave," Relena joked. Pegan gave her wizened smiled and hugged her. "Very good. I'll see you on Christmas Eve," Pegan turned and gave Heero a quick nod of his head before exiting the cabin. Relena waved one last time and shut the door. Heero watched her sluggish movements, she bent over to pick up her luggage. Her slender fingers wrapped around her suitcases and she rose to head for the stairs. Heero followed suit and picked his duffle bag, and suitcases trailing behind her silently, Relena did not turn to acknowledge his presence. She continued up the stairs. The only people remaining downstairs were now, Mariemaia, Wufei, Trowa, and Jin.

Hilde removed her jacket and placed it onto the coat hanger beside Duo's. On the far right end of the bedroom Duo was busy unpacking his backpack of books and placing them on the convenient sized shelf above his bed, he had already put his clothes in the dresser beside his night-table and his slippers along with his boots had been lined up at the end of his bed; there was a nice wool rug in the center of the room shaped like a diamond. Hilde went over to the far left end of the bedroom where her bed and dresser were and began to unpack.

"This place is sure comfy," Hilde heard Duo say to himself. Hilde nodded in agreement opening the drawers and placing her clothing inside, she placed her slippers and boots against the wall beside her dresser and brought along only two books; her Journal and a book called How I spent my summer vacation. The placed the two book atop the dresser and continued to put her clothes in the drawers. Duo flopped down on the sturdy bed holding a Tom Clancy book in his hands, lying down on his back he propped his legs up on the bed and began to read. Once Hilde was finished with unpacking she headed out of the room to explore around the house. She traveled around the stair case's railing and headed down the stairs at a quick pace.

Relena had unpacked and placed all her belongings in their rightful place, she was going to sleep on the left end of the room. Heero hung his jacket up on the coat hanger and tossed his duffle bag onto his bed, he dragged his two suitcases over to the dresser and left them there. He leaned over his duffle bag, he pulled out his laptop and gun placing them onto top dresser.

"Aren't you going to unpack your things Heero?" Relena wondered coming over on his side. Heero shrugged as he placed all his important items onto the shelf when he couldn't find space on the dresser's top. Silence befell the room making Relena uncomfortable as her thoughts drifted back to the stupid comment she made when Heero gave her the Hello kitty doll. Her cheeks reddened with embarrassment at thought deciding it was a better time than never to apologize to him now that he wasn't moving about.

"Heero," She whispered. "Hn?" He grunted setting his duffle bag between his bed and dresser. Relena watched him unlock his suitcase and unpack his clothes. "I'm sorry about what I said when you gave me the doll. Sometimes my mouth moves and says stuff I don't mean to say out in the open. I hope you'll forgive me," She fiddled with her cardigan buttons. Heero said nothing he opened the dresser drawers then placed his clothes inside them according to color and their purpose. Relena's legs felt stiff from standing in silence.

Slowly turned to leave him alone when she heard him mutter something oh so quietly. "Heero...?" She murmured. Heero stopped what he was doing and turned to meet her expectant gaze. "I said, apology accepted, your forgiven" He repeated. Relena's face brightened a bit glade that all was forgiven between them, she turned to leave the room. Heero watched her go with the same distant eyes before he returned to unpacking his clothes thankful the situation was taken care of before it escalated into something out of their hands.

A faint smile graced his features before the sound of feet paddling toward the bedroom door caught his attention. Heero turned around and spotted Ryuusei rushing into the room still wearing her jacket, he kneeled down once the girl was in front of him and picked her up. "What are you doing here?" He asked in Japanese. Ryuusei replied she wanted to stay in the same room as he because Catherine offered to share a room with her. Heero cocked an eyebrow at Ryuusei placing her on the bed, the gray haired girl kicked off her boots and searched around for something to play with. She crawled over to the dresser and reached for his gun. Heero smacked her hand away and picked her up off the bed and headed over to Relena's side of the bedroom. "Stay there, don't move," He placed her on Relena's bed and headed back over on his side.

Ryuusei began to pout but remained where she was. Heero finished up unpacking his clothes and placed his suitcase under his bed. "Finished," He muttered whipping his brow. "Heero, can I move now?" Ryuusei complained. Heero had almost forgotten she was behind him, picking up his gun he placed in his holster that was hidden by his denim jacket before giving her the word. "You can move now," Heero said heading out of the room. "Mattie!" Ryuusei followed after him quickly as he headed down the hall to Duo and Hilde's bedroom passing Wufei, Trowa, and Jin. Ryuusei managed to catch up with him and when she did she stuck close to him. Heero ignored the fact that she had wrapped her hand around his fingers and continued onward.

Jin, Trowa and Wufei stood across the hall from the Duo and Hilde's bedroom with perplexed expressions on their faces. "Who's got this room?" Jin asked. Trowa shrugged. Wufei dug into his jean pocket and revealed a Quater, Trowa and Jin's eyes rested on the quater. Wufei smirked. "We flip for it," He said. Trowa nodded in agreement. "I got heads," He announced. "That leave's Jin with tails." Jin cursed silently under his breath.

Wufei nodded and tossed the Quater up into the air. Jin watched the quater spin through the air as it went up, he prayed it landed on tails, he didn't want to share a room with Mariemaia. The quater came down and Wufei caught it. He slapped it onto the back of his hand before revealing it; it handed on heads. "Kuso!" Jin cursed through clenched teeth. Trowa smirked triumphantly and followed Wufei inside the room. He turned to meet the enraged gaze of Jin. "Don't worry I'll make it up to you Jin. I'll take you snowboarding," Trowa said as he dragged his luggage into the room. Jin muttered something before heading off into the room beside Wufei and Trowa's. He would have to share a room with Mariemaia.

Mariemaia who had been standing behind them followed Jin inside the room with a less than happy expression on her face. She watched Jin take the bed on the left that resided up against a wall beside a window and window seat, the dresser he was going to use was placed beside the front door below the light switch. She grudgingly walked to the bed on the right and placed her suitcase on it. Both their dressers resided beside the front door. It made her wonder why. As she opened her suitcase she overheard Jin muttering to himself: "Why'd I have to be suck in the room with most spoiled and needy girl every to be spawned?? I swear that Quater had two heads and no tails. If so, Wufei is gonna regret sticking me in this room!" Mariemaia was hurt by his hushed complaints but she kept her feelings to herself as she walked over to the end of the room to the dresser. Her legs felt like jello as she struggled to stay on her feet, she opened her drawers and placed her underwear in the top drawer one piece at a time.

She walked back over to her bed gathered up all her clothes and headed back over to the dresser only to fall to her knees halfway there. The loud thump caught Jin's attention drawing his eyes away from the foggy window toward a trembling Mariemaia. What the---? Jin ventured away from his bed and over to Mariemaia, he stood over her confusion written all over his face. "Mariemaia?" He whispered kneeling down beside her. Her clothes were sprawled all over the floor around her, her fists were on the ground as she tried her best not cry in front of the very person she cared a great deal for.

He placed a tentative hand on her shoulder, she shrugged it off and shoved him away from her. Jin braced himself impact as he felt his body hit the ground hard, he watched dumbfounded as Mariemaia picked up all her clothes and headed over to her dresser. Jin climbed off the ground his nerves rattled. "Just can't help some people," He uttered tiredly heading back over to the bed. Mariemaia stiffened automatically at his heartless comment and turned to glare at his back. "Your the one who can't be helped," She snapped angrily slamming her dresser drawer shut.

"Is that so?" Jin retorted calmly as he placed his clothes onto his bed and hung his backpack onto the end of his bed. "Yes, it is," Mariemaia said. "You constantly push people away from you because you afraid of getting hurt or that they'll betray you. Not to mention you insult them! Your spinning image of what Heero used to be...... or maybe I'm wrong. At least he knew what people to trust and those who were going to betray him." Jin gave the girl a look as he made his way over to the dresser with his clothes.

"I wish you wouldn't compare him to me, he and I are nothing alike," Jin pretended to be unaffected by her words but deep inside he was growing more and more angry by the minute. He placed his clothes atop the dresser with a sigh. Mariemaia cracked a wry smile and nodded. "But you try your damnedest to be just like him. Emotionless, a soldier, inhuman, when in fact your hurting inside and you just use this imitation as facade to hide the real you. Your as human as any one who lost their parents Jin. At least you knew them. I never knew mine," Jin's onyx blue eyes met her angelic pale blue ones. His lips wavered as he fought to speak but his tongue was immobile. Mariemaia's eyes narrowed at his still figure knowing she said something to get him to react or rather become immobile.

They stood there staring at each other for the longest time, onyx blue eyes bore into pale blue ones as though they were entangled in one another. Jin was the first to blink breaking the trance, Mariemaia stood steadfast believing what she had said was all true. "Maybe your right, but at least I'm not needy or spoiled," He choked exiting the room. Mariemaia was left in the room by herself, she listened to his departing footsteps storming down the stairs startling someone on the first floor. She slid down against the wall onto the floor hugging her legs close to her. Her hair fell in face shadowing her pale blue eyes.

Hilde busily ate away at her her bagle she had snatched from the refrigerator, she took notice of Jin slipping into his jacket and boots quickly. Her aquamarine eyes danced with curiousity as she watched him march toward front door. She wasn't sure why he decided to go outside, it was nearly evening time which meant it was going to darker and much cooler than it was now. "Hey, Jin where are you going?" She asked. Jin pulled his hood over his head ignoring her question, he opened the door and stepped out of the house. Hilde flinched at the sickening sound of the door slamming shut. "What's wrong with him?" Hilde uttered to herself. The 17-year-old stared down at her bagle and wasn't very hungry anymore.

Jin struggled through the ankle deep snow, his breathing was ragged and his mind was more disturbed by Mariemaia's words then he would actually admit to. What business was it of hers to dicitate his personality or whomever he was modling himself after? She thoughtlessly compared him to Heero, he was only the way he was because he had not had an easy life, no one's lfe was easy, but his was a living hell he couldn't wake up from. Your hurting inside and you just use this imitation as facade to hide the real you.

Her words continusously repeated themselves in his mind constantly with no end in sight. "If I'm anything like Heero then I should've died a long time ago," He whispered to himself as he ventured deeper through the snow letting his mind lead him by the hand. He no longer had any desire to even try to remain friends with the likes of her. She examinied him like a outlaw, a tortured soul lost in a sea of confusion. Jin walked for hours on end miles away from the house, shouded deep in the forest. Jin stopped to look up at the sky full of stars and the moon with pleading eyes. He never noticed the edge cliff he stood at"What's out there for me? Worth living for?" He croaked, his throat dry from his harsh intake of breath. His head pounded with uncertainty and a pain he could not describe. His vision blurred out and Jin fell back into the snow unconscious. The wind whistled around him carrying with it his forgotten dream and promise

'Tousan, what's a dream?

A dream?

Yeah know, the kind when you aren't sleep.

Oh! That sort of dream. Well I guess an "awake dream" is sorta a goal set in your mind, you know what you want to do. Understand?

No, not really 'tousan.

Chuckle. Well maybe when your older you'll understand what I mean.

You'll be there when I grow big and strong won't you?

Of course why?

No reason, I just wanted to know.

How come?

Can you promise?

Silnce.

'Tousan!

I promise Jin! Why are you so worried about all of this? Your still a child.

I had a bad dream. But I can't remember what it was about. I just remember seeing fire, you and 'kassan. And I was cold.

Hey.... don't worry about that. It's almost 7:30, I'll have to go soon. Gimmie a hug kiddo. [Hug] Me and your mom aren't going anywhere. Remember that.

All right 'tousan....

Jin laid on the ground his legs and arms spread out as though he were making a snow angel. His face contorted with fear as tears rolled down his face. "You broke...... our promise........," He rasped. His voice was carried away by the wind.

[TBC]
Author's note: Incase your confused about the room set-up it goes like this: There are one pair of stairs on the left side of the upstairs floor and the baluster's separate the floor in a square sort of way. (A): Heero and Relena's bedroom resides on the left, as does Hilde and Duo's bedroom, along with Catherine and Ryuusei's. (B): Trowa and Wufei's bedroom resides on the right side along with Dorothy and Quatre's bedroom and lastly Jin and Mariemaia's.