29: Shinjitsu no Shi
(Disclaimer: Take my hand lyrics belong to Dido.)
Touch my skin and tell me what your thinking,
take my hand and show me where we're going
lie down next to me, look into my eyes,
and tell me oh tell me what you're seeing
so sit on top of the world and tell me how you're feeling,
what you feel now is what I feel for you
take my hand and if I'm lying to you, I'll always be alone if I'm lying to you
See my eyes they carry you're reflection, what my lips and hear the words I'm telling you
give your trust to me and look into my heart and show me,
show me what you're doing
take my hand and if I'm lying to you, I'll always be alone, If I'm lying to you
take your time, if I'm lying to you, I know you'll find that you believe me, you believe me
feel the sun on your face and tell me what you're thinking
catch the snow on your tongue and show me how it tastes
take my hand and if I'm lying to you, I'll aways be alone, if I'm lying to you
take you time and if I'm lying to you, I know you'll find that you believe me, you believe me
(December 28 A.C. 199: Colony L4; Winner Mansion):
"Master Quatre where have you been! We've been worried sick about you!" Auda cried to the young blonde and Dorothy when the two entered the large building Quatre called home. Half of the entire entrance hall was dressed head to toe in Christmas decorations. The two way staircase's balusters were wrapped in garlin that was embroidered in small Christmas packages, the statues held reefs around their necks among other things. Quatre waved to the oncoming Arabic army and all of his sisters.
Dorothy began to wonder what had possessed her to say yes to Quatre. His entire family were not her favorite people to be around, especially Quatre's sister's and Rashid. They eyed her like a criminal. She edged out of view as the outrageous number of (Minus Rashid who was off doing something on his own) people came around Quatre to give him a piece of their minds. Dorothy headed toward the stairs ignoring the butler that stood at the foot of the right stair case holing a platter complete with a tea pot, cups, and tea sandwiches. She ignored him as she headed up with her suitcases knowing what guest room she wanted to occupy, the one nearest to Quatre that obviously been his mother's bedroom. It was now a guest room, why however, was a question Dorothy thought better left unquestioned.
As she traveled the immense hallways Dorothy examined each of the paintings on the walls divided by each door. Most of them were of people she had never seen, others were people that currently among the living (Relena being one of them). Then there was herself and Quatre's paintings parted by the doorway of the bedroom she wished to stay. An undeniable smile crossed her lips entering the large bedroom. It appeared to the same state she had left last time she staying at the mansion, the covers had been changed though. The room was spotless indicating that the maids had been cleaning. The curtains were still gold embroidered the work desk remained beside the bed, the night stand resided on the right, the floor mirror resided beside the bedroom door as did the closet, the rug was still the same white rose themed one. The ceiling remained to be plastered designed and the chandelier remained hanging in the center of the ceiling.
Sitting down on the bed and placind her suitcases on the floor under the bed she reached into her peacoat's pocket and pulled out a small pocket watch. That wasn't there before, Dorothy thought perplexed before reading the tag handing off the gold chain. To my dear friend Dorothy, I'll try to make up all the lost time; Quatre R. Winner. Grinning the blonde sat the watch onto work desk and began remove all her outside clothes. There was no doubt in her mind that somewhere around the time she and others were kidnapped she almost wished that she'd die in the explosion inside the missile level had it not been stopped. There was also no doubt in Dorothy's mind stating that she had been under the influence of a sedative that had been administered into her system (after the heavily armored men had thrown Relena, Trowa, Quatre, and herself into their armored trucks) making her think that way.
Afterward, on the road to Quatre's home Dorothy had remembered that she had sprained her ankle. It was still as painful as before because of all the exertion she had placed upon it. She ignored it simply because she didn't want to be babied by Quatre of his any of his friends. Removing her shoes and socks she placed her leg overtop her knee to inspect her sprained ankle; it was horribly swollen, when she tired to flex her toes a sharp pain traveled up her leg. Wincing the girl searched for something that she could use to call someone into the bedroom without actually having to get up and do it herself. That was until the door opened. Quatre poked his head inside looking quite relieved to have found Dorothy. He greeted her with a small wave. "May I come in?" He said looking out into the hallway. "Yes, you may," Dorothy replied coolly.
Quatre smiled in an almost ecstatic way as he stepped inside Dorothy eyed curiously when he shut the door and made his way over toward her temporary bed. "I would've joined you sooner, but my sisters as well as the Maguanacs sorta wanted me to explain the call they got from Une explaining our past predicament," He laughed slightly until he saw the 19-year-old's swollen ankle. The color in Quatre's face drained instantly and before Dorothy could protest in her cool manner the young man was beside her in an instant, his hand cradling her injured ankle. Dorothy flinched violently causing her hand raise up in a defensive manner, Quatre dodged her hand as it swiped at him.
"Quatre Winner! My ankle hurts worse than the seven rings of hell and your manhandling it as if I don't feel anything!" She cried angrily. Quatre flinched at the hurt that he traced in her voice and immediately apologized for his insensitive reaction to her injury, it took only about a moment or so for Dorothy to accept his apology, she then went back to being silent. Quatre fidgeted uncomfortably in the silence stealing quick glances at the platinum blonde girl beside him, Dorothy noticed but decided not to give into his 'pity-looks'.
An hour later the two still found themselves unable to speak a word to each other. Or at least Dorothy was unable, Quatre on the other hand couldn't bear another second of the silent treatment. "Dorothy if you like, I could go and get a first aid kit for you ankle?" He said uncertainly. Dorothy looked at him for a brief moment before nodding her head in agreement, rising to his feet Quatre headed out of the bedroom eager to complete his mission. Several minutes later Quatre returned with the first aid kit in hand, Dorothy looked in his direction out of pure uninterest when he kneeled down in front of her. "Are you still angry at me?" He asked quietly. Dorothy shrugged. "That depends," She said simply.
"Depends?"
"Yes, depends?"
"On what exactly Miss Dorothy?"
"Just Dorothy Quatre. As before; That depends on if this pocket watch over here is a late Christmas present?" She said in a less than kind manner. Dorothy's eyebrows twitched in slight annoyance at the sensation of pressure against her ankle she pressed her uninjured foot against Quatre's stomach causing him to jump slightly, he looked up at her with inquiring eyes then shifted gaze toward the work desk where the pocket watch resided. Quatre made sure he there were no infections or signs of danger upon her ankle after washing it and wrapped the bandage around the blonde's foot up until he had covered the entire foot as well as her ankle. Dorothy got the feeling that there was something about that pocket watch that was very personal to Quatre and wondered what could've possessed him to even give it her?
Leaning over to get a better look at his face she Dorothy placed a hand on his head. There was silence before he looked up at her with an almost guilty look. She was taken aback by this and wondered if the extent of her words wounded the young man before her so. "Quatre I demand to know why your acting so strangely!" She said haughtily.
The young man stood up from his kneeling position rubbing his eyes rather quickly not only giving Dorothy the feeling that she had hurt his feelings with the insensitive comment of hers. If there was really something special the pocket watch then Quatre had every reason not to tell her, but then why give it to her? Dorothy watched Quatre sit down beside her. "First off; yes, its a late Christmas gift for you Dorothy," Quatre began. "Second; it belonged to my mother ... or at least that's what Irea's always told me. I wasn't sure what to get you for Christmas and Irea suggested I give you this pocket watch."
Dorothy eyed her friend in a most odd way thinking, that if she were this ex-Gundam pilot she would not be so hasty as to give up something that belonged to her mother. "I know your thinking I made a rash decision, but I really didn't know my mother. I've only found about her recently. She died giving birth to mean." Dorothy nodded resting a hand on Quatre's hand, the young man looked up in her direction with curious blue-green eyes. The two of them stared at each other for the longest time. Quatre was the first to break his stare and avert his eyes towards the doorway.
"Anyway," He cleared his throat. "I'm not saying I don't love my mother. But I think she would happy to know I would be giving something of hers to give to you, wouldn't think?" Dorothy watched the blonde reach over her and pick the pocket watch up from off the table. He handed the object to her smiling all the while, Dorothy eyed him again before taking the pocket watch from him and stuffing it into her vest's pocket. Sighing she said, "Of course Quatre, I'm sure she would," Pulling her pleated skirt further over her exposed legs the blonde girl asked Quatre if he could possibly bring an ice pack for her throbbing ankle. Quatre nodded rising from his place he left the bedroom once more. Dorothy welcomed the silence with open arms.
If there was one thing Duo hated the most it was Heero's persistence when it came to doing what he wanted. There was no stopping him and to risk bodily injury in order to do so would probably be the last thing he or anyone else would do, it was just stupid and their lives were worth more than that. Not that he remembered Heero shooting anyone for trying to stop him from doing anything. Groaning the young man rubbed his shoulder blade against the frame the kitchen door way Duo was watching Heero with a sort of intensity as he tried to pull the cast off his leg. Hilde was currently absent from the house, supposedly on a grocery shopping trip. "You know that is plaster?" Duo said tiredly flexing his wrist again. "Ouch." Heero averted his eyes toward Duo (who appeared to be falling asleep on his feet) with a heated gaze as he pulled against the cast on his feet with his hands very much aware of the fact that the cast on his foot was plaster. "What's your point?" Heero stated sharply.
He grinned slightly at the sound of a crack. Duo rolled his eyes rubbing his shoulder blade against the door frame once more, there was a look of complete disbelief in his face upon noticing a fracture in the cast. I don't believe this guy! The 17-year-old thought annoyed. Heero pulled for what seemed like hours until the cast was finally broken away from his leg. Heero's grin reappeared just in time for him to turn and gaze at his braided comrade. Duo looked dumbstruck; his mouth was slightly agape as he watched Heero stand up on both his feet. Heero grimaced applying slight pressure to his left leg, the same soreness was still there. "Its not bad," Heero stated calmly walking toward his friend. "At least I'm able to walk on it." Duo wished for nothing more than the use of both his hands so he could strangle him, however, he would have to make do with glaring at Heero.
"That's not the point, your supposed to be resting, not up looking for Jin!" Duo blurted angrily. "The fact that your leg is still sore means your not to walk on it! Your not a machine Heero. Remember machines need parts for repairs, unlike you and your leg!" The Japanese teenager narrowed his eyebrows at the grinning American before returning to the couch, his borrowed plaid blue flannel shirt over top a long-sleeve long-john shirt felt stiff now that he was able to roam. "I just need to see-." Duo abruptly cut the seventeen year old off with a retort. "Heero he could be anywhere now! Its been ... I don't know how long since we've last seen him! He could be in space for all we know!" Duo snapped yanking at his sling's strap. The American grunted in pain realizing he had just used his hand, Heero eyed him accusingly. "Your not supposed move that hand," Heero mumbled. Duo stared him with one open eye gritting his teeth as a way to compensate for the pain. "Yeah well, I blame you for my mistake," He uttered walking into the kitchen. Heero stared down at his bare feet then shifted his Prussian blue eyes toward the front door upon hearing keys slip into the lock.
Hn. Hilde's home. I wonder if she'll chew my ears off, He mused as the front door opened. Hilde stepped through with an armful of shopping bags. She kicked the door shut with her foot and proceeded into the kitchen, she greeted the Japanese teenager on the couch unaware of the broken cast that laid beside him. "Hi Heero ("Hn..," Was his response), I'm home Duo!" She said cheerily. "Hey Hilde!" Heero heard Duo greet her with the best happy voice he could muster. Hilde must've bought it because she did not question him in the least as she began to remove all the frozen (as well as non frozen) foods out of the shopping bags. Heero grunted in annoyance when he heard Duo's empty cheerfulness at the mention of 'homemade pizza for dinner,' reaching down Heero picked up his boots and socks. There was no way he could stay inside the house for a minute longer.
He slipped both clothing on quickly and when Hilde and Duo weren't looking, advanced past the kitchen door towards the front door. His dream was still bothering him and his mind would not find rest until he knew Jin was all right. Giving the kitchen door once more glance Heero grabbed his jacket and silently headed out of the house, he was then greeted with the strong winds and snow blowing around him off the ground. Heero blinked pulling his down jacket's collar up around his neck then proceeded forward limping slightly from the pain in his leg. "I wasn't expecting this much snow," He mumbled staring down at his missing shins. He hoped Hilde and Duo didn't catch on to his absence too soon.
Hilde shivered when a draft ran across her ankles she turned her head toward the living room, there was an uneasy sense of emptiness coming from it. Strange, she didn't remember leaving the front door open. "Heero's unusually quite, don't you think?" She said casually. Duo stopped examining the canned goods long enough to take a peak at the living room; he too felt the same sort of emptiness that usually came with a vacant house. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, Duo walked away from the counter in the center of the kitchen past Hilde (who resided on the island unpacking fruits and vegetables from the shopping bag) and into the living room. If there was anything he absolutely hated more about Heero than his persistence it was his ability to leave unnoticed, like a ghost. "I think I know why Heero's so quiet...," He mumbled turning around to meet Hilde's confused face. Hilde stared at him with worried eyes before taking a peak into the living room herself.
The color in her face drained when she saw the broken cast on the ground in two pieces, she turned toward the coat hanger; Heero's jacket was missing. Rushing toward the door the girl yanked it open surprised to find it unlocked, she stared out into the whiteout before calling out to Heero. The hospital left Heero and Duo in her capable care and she had let one of them escape her sight! Good God, what would she do? Duo positioned himself against the kitchen's door frame watching Hilde calmly until she withdrew with the cold and closed the front door. He almost frowned at the genuine look of concern on her face. "Duo we have to go and find him!" She cried walking over to him. "Feh, If I know Heero, he'll be back when he's good a ready," Duo scoffed turning his head in the other direction. Hilde stared at the tall young man before her almost on the verge of tears, though the occasion didn't call for it. Heero, his friend was out in a blizzard and all he could say that was he would be back? "Duo how could you say that, he's hurt! Isn't Heero your friend?" Hilde blurted in disbelief.
Duo looked down at Hilde with wide cobalt blue eyes surprised at her reaction towards the comment he made, she never acted that way about Heero before. "Of course he's my friend Hilde, but you know as well as I do that Heero can take care of himself," Duo placed his fractured hand upon her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. He'll know what to do." Hilde's watering aquamarine eyes stared into his cobalt blue ones searching them for the truth; there wasn't a trace of mistruth in his gaze. Hilde lowered her defenses bowing her head. "I trust you Duo," Hilde said quietly. "That's my girl!" Duo grinned happily placing his hand onto her head. Hilde chuckled in amusement as she was lead back into the kitchen, however, she could not shake the uneasy feeling inside of her. She just hoped that Duo was truly right about Heero. God knew she couldn't stop worry about the reckless young man that had become a close to her.
Mariemaia waltzed to a soothing melody across the large dinning room floor of the Kushrenada mansion. Barefoot she stepped into the correct footnotes taped onto the floor by her friend Dido who stood beside the video camera the two of them had found buried in the basement. Mariemaia had been spending her free time practicing on her dancing to be prepared for her lessons in St. Gabriel come school time again. While the young men of the school had fencing classes the girls had ballet and traditional dancing classes due to their future statuses in society.
At one point when she wanted to join the dance classes, but the head director of the school's board objected to her offer saying she had not the talent and that her relation to Treize Kushrenada was an irrelevant bribe since they had never heard of her from the late Treize. Upon telling her mother, Une vouched for her surrogate daughter stating that if Mariemaia was not allowed to join St. Gabriel's dance program that she would shut down the entire school for discrimination against so-called no-talent children. The board agreed to Lady Une's terms after a month of consideration and let Mariemaia and Dido among children into the dance classes. The red-orange haired girl thanked her mother and did her chores without complaint. Since then Mariemaia had been dancing for at least over a two years and was the head of her class with Dido in third.
Besides; it was the only thing that was able to keep her mind off the whereabouts of Jin. "Your really getting good at this Mariemaia!" Dido contemplated with a clap of her hands. Mariemaia simply smiled as she finished her last steps, Dido stopped recording before proceeding toward her sweaty friend. Mariemaia looked toward the large skylight above the long dinning; it was covered in snow blocking out the light of the morning. She sighed her mind drifting back to Jin once more. He made no promises about when either of them would see each other again, her mind was sent wondering as to when he would come back, if ever. The shaky foundation of their friendship was not a place she wanted to be left, she wanted to be able stand on firm ground with Jin for once! "Dido... how far have you gotten in your lessons?" Mariemaia asked curiously.
Dido looked down at the girl for a moment before she turned pushed her blue hair out of her face. "Uhh I um- haven't been practicing," Dido mumbled quietly. Mariemaia's face fell in an instant remembering all the time Dido had tripped over own feet in class and sprained her ankle before winter break. Not to mention Dido's sudden grade drop in classes all together. "Is there something the matter?" Mariemaia asked. Dido shook her head quickly leaving them once more in an awkward silence. After a minute or so Dido walked over to the head of the table and grabbed her coat, Mariemaia's eyebrows raised in question. Dido pulled her coat over her shoulders then stared at her friend. "Mariemaia there's nothing wrong I just need some time off," Dido replied quietly. The blue haired teenager then headed out of the dinning room without another word. "Dido, where are you going?" She cried running after her friend. "What about dinner? Mother said you could stay for Dinner."
Dido just shook her head as she stepped off the last stair then headed for the front door, Mariemaia paused in her footsteps on the second landing of the stair case. "Dido please tell me what's wrong!" The girl cried desperately. Dido turned whipping her eyes of tears, she was upset about something, obviously. Dido pushed her blue hair out of her face for a second time as she pulled her skullcap over her head down upon her ears, she gazed at her young friend who looked as though she would break down any minute. Swallowing back her pride Dido began to explain her sudden change of attitude to Mariemaia. Before she had sprained her ankle and was sent home for a little over a week or so, Dido had explained to Mrs. Wimbledon the dance teacher (after the woman had boldly proclaimed that Dido was fooling around behind the young children instead of doing her work) that her sprained ankle was a result of bad posture and it wouldn't happen again.
Mrs. Wimbledon; a haggard middle aged woman of wrinkled skin, gray hair, pale blue eyes and a skinny body frame simply repeated Dido's last words and excused the girl from class to get her ankle checked on, Mariemaia looked down at her friend remembering that day clearly. She had gone to Jin's fencing class afterward to see if she could get him to walk with her, Jin had politely refused in his native Korean language and continued to practicing with his sword. "...After a month had gone by my ankle was feeling better so I came back to school. After I had finished all my other classes I headed for dance class but when I entered the room Mrs. Wimbledon promptly pushed outside and closed the door stating that I had been expelled from her class for never paying attention." Mariemaia's eyes widened in disblief.
"So you see, the reason I haven't been practicing is because I have been expelled," Dido finished quietly. "Well, they can't do that!" The 10-year-old cried. "My mother will see to it that you'll get back into that c-." Dido just shook head and quietly stated that Lady Une did more than enough for her and she would just have to find another class to go to. Mariemaia was at a loss of words, both angry and sympathetic ones, she watched with tearing eyes as Dido left the house crying softly. The orange-red haired girl rested herself on the stairs staring into space, swallowing back her anguish the girl arose from her place and headed back up stairs to hide in her bedroom.
(Preventers HQ):
Lady Une sat inside her office in the dark staring down at the illuminated computer screen her chin rested upon the back of her hand. Her eyes darted across the screen as she read the files of Margaret Cypher, her brow was creased in confusion as she read the deceased woman's bio. What confused the German woman was that Margaret Cyphers likeness' such as; Ethic Origin: Germany, Age: 44 years, Height: 5'8', Weight: Unknown, D.O.B.: Unknown. Nationality: German/Britsh, were listed but her characteristics and personality were as of now unknown and would forever be unknown because now she was dead.
It didn't give Une a lot to go on when it came to the question of what kind of mother she was. Sighing the woman shut off her computer and turned to stare outside of her large window at the falling snow and twinkling lights from neon signs and traffic below; as she stared Une wondered if she was a good mother to Mariemaia and if she had been to hard on Jin until now. It was a fact that the boy had been involved in the coop that Dorothy Catalonia's sister Phareil Catalonia had planned on unleashing on a nearly defenseless ESUN but from what the ex-pilots had told her he was simply on the Corsica base to get that demonic Wing Zero Gundam, however, it did nothing to sway the stubborn notation Une's pride had about the Korean.
Had he never been there perhaps she would've gave him the benefit of the doubt. Then again when she first laid eyes on him Une could tell he was a wandering spirit unbound by the laws of right and wrong, good and bad because he had never been taught these things before in his life, not to their full extent anyway. Groaning the woman lowered her head and ran her hands through her hair in frustration unable to think clearly; she was still was getting over her guilt for killing Margaret, she or the other Preventers were unable to locate Jin anywhere and they had used their best sources consisting of unorthodox and regular methods.
Not to mention Mariemaia had spoken to her since she had come to pick her up from the train-station. Turning around the woman got up from her seat, Une stared down at the computer with a murderous look before she shoved the computer screen off her desk onto the floor. Sparks flew after the impact but Une didn't care, grabbing her coat the German headed out of her office. She had the unmistakable feeling that Margaret was laughing down somewhere in hell at her plight.
(TBC): Final Chapter; 'Chapter 30 (Epilogue): Just remember you are no Alone.' It'll bea long chapter so it might take time.