Night Wind
Part II – Let the Night Begin
Chapter Fifteen: Far From Home
Wufei folds his arms across his chest and frowns that view afforded him by the window. He considers the two figures seated beneath a gnarled apple tree on the edge of the orchard and feels his frustration swell. Had Taki suddenly left him, he would most assuredly not be sitting on his ass under a tree. In fact, he remembers all too well the time she had tried to self-destruct. Although he's not cold, a chill unfolds from his gut at the memory.
He's tempted to go out there and give Maxwell and Barton a good talking-to. Very tempted. Not only would he be informing them of what he believes to be a severe tactical error on their part, but he'd also be distracting himself from the knowledge that he'd nearly lost the love of his life before he'd really opened his heart to her.
Regardless, he needs to do something to keep himself from thinking these disgustingly sentimental thoughts. He almost snorts as he wonders if this is a side-effect of being a newly-wed.
With a great deal of effort, Wufei does not march out into the orchard to lecture his friends. Instead, he returns to the often-used study to check his messages. He settles into the large, leather-upholstered chair behind the desk with a small smile. He's not sure he'll be able to go back to his spindly office chair after enjoying this indulgence.
He activates the vid screen and types in the necessary codes. A few moments later, he is scrolling through various voice and mail messages. There is – of course – nothing from the Yuys. But his fingers pause over the keys when he realizes that he does have a message from something he'd nearly forgotten about...
Wufei allows himself a moment to listen to the house. He'd last seen Taki sketching in the courtyard and the remainder of the guests had either left that morning or are contemplating the orchard; he's alone. Sure of his privacy, Wufei opens the file and studies the data therein.
For the past few weeks, Wufei had been waiting for an opportunity to install a small remote transmitter in Une's personal computer but it hadn't been until his second-to-last day before his vacation that he'd had his chance. Now the results of that risky venture wait for him to decode them at his leisure. He knows that if he's caught he'll lose his job. He could very likely be imprisoned for this. He'd be lying if he said that didn't matter to him. But his only other option – sitting back and doing nothing – is not something he can, in good conscience, allow himself to do. Thus, with a deep breath, Wufei begins – in earnest – his investigation of his boss.
During his first few attempts to decipher the nonsense before him, he has a fleeting thought of the Yuys and their enviable hacking skills. For a moment, he considers sending out an All Points Bulletin on their rental car to the local European police agencies. But no. He'll give this a try for a few days before he disturbs them.
But then again, he might try to find them anyway if for no other reason than to persuade them to get their asses back here and deal with Maxwell and Barton. He almost smiles as he remembers how he'd managed to help Maxwell and Winner mend their altercation over Bisho several months ago. But Wufei doubts that a verbal ass-kicking is going to be enough to fix this miscommunication.
...ooo...
He listens for the sounds of her breathing over the persistent hum of the shuttle's engines but has to settle for timing the gentle expansions and contractions of her ribs before he can be sure she is asleep.
For the first time since he'd boarded the shuttle, Quatre Winner allows himself to relax. With Bisho sleeping under his arm, he is finally free to let his thoughts meander where they will.
The Yuys. Heero and Yokaze. Quatre considers the darkness beyond the small window and finds himself comparing the messages they had left behind. Heero's note and Yokaze's song. Two different methods to communicate the same concept, almost word for word. Had it been intentional?
He hopes so. Dear whatever-god-there-may-be, he hopes so. Quatre forces his suddenly tense muscles to relax before the shiver he feels building within him can erupt. He clearly recalls a handful of words spoken years ago... clearly understands the potential... clearly realizes that he might be the only one who suspects...
But if even if his suspicions were realized, would that be such a horrible thing?
Perhaps. Perhaps not. That is why he is having them watched, after all. He cannot allow this situation to develop into something... inconvenient. Not now. Not when he is so close to securing his place in both the Earth and the colonies. Not when he is so close to voicing his promise of happily-ever-after to the woman he loves.
He turns away from the darkness and brushes his cheek against Bisho's soft hair. In silence, he vows that, no matter what the future may bring, he will never relinquish his beloved. Quatre's blue eyes close on a sigh. What he had told her shortly before Heero's arrival had been true: he only formulates a strategy for that which he knows he cannot live without.
Bisho...
He tightens his arm around her shoulders and relishes the way she nuzzles blindly into his collar. He savors this moment of warmth and knows that whatever fate awaits him, he will not face it without her.
He thinks momentarily of Heero and Yokaze. He thinks momentarily of his plans. He knows that he will allow nothing to interfere with the latter. Nothing.
...ooo...
"I'm sorry there aren't very many. Most of the pictures were lost with the old house."
The thin, partially filled scrap book lies across their laps. Slowly, they study each image before turning the page. The eyes of the room's three occupants are on their every move. As if the way they move is strange. The brother lifts the next page with his left hand. The sister smoothes it down with her right.
The elderly woman tells them, "Old neighbors and friends–" She offers the sheriff a kind smile. "–were good enough to go through their photographs and give us copies of the ones they'd taken of the two of you."
"And your mother and father, of course," her husband contributes.
They pause in their absorption of the images. One face has caught their attention. Very softly, one of them says, "This is our mother?"
The old woman leans forward to see the photograph. "Oh, yes. That's Leise. She was still in school when that was taken."
For a moment, no one speaks. But then: "How did she die?"
Despite all their research, the Mori children have never been able to find any other information regarding their mother. What little they know had been found after months of tenacious searching. They had not even been able to find Benjiro Mori's personnel file... but then, during the war, much of that Alliance's extensive database had been destroyed.
The old woman leans back into her chair. It is her husband who answers. "It was cancer. You were about two years old, Fiero."
The brother turns the page. The sister tucks it aside. And they pause again. They remember this picture. They stare at their father who kneels with his young son squirming in his arms. His daughter stands beside him with her hand on his shoulder.
"Your mother took that one," the old man says. "It was right before..." He trails off, indicating that Leise hadn't lived for much longer beyond that day. He glances from the girl in the photo to the sister. "I think you knew, Ossia. I think you knew how sick she really was. Although, I know Benjiro tried to keeps things... normal."
"We don't remember," one of them whispers.
The sister trails the callused tips of her fingers over the edge of the photo.
"Well, it was a long time ago... and you were very young," the old woman assures them.
Suddenly, both siblings look up. It's time for some answers. "How is it you know us?"
"And our parents?"
The elderly couple stiffen but the sheriff does not seem surprised by this question... only a little saddened.
The old man says, startled, "Leise was our daughter. Our only child."
The siblings blink. They had not anticipated this information.
"Ah, no wonder both of you were so startled by our greeting..." the old man – their grandfather – muses after seeing their reactions. "It didn't occur to us you wouldn't remember us."
"We... visited you often?"
"With our mother and father?"
Their grandmother sniffs and blinks her eyes, circumventing the appearance of a tear. "Well, yes, there's that," she replies thickly. She pauses for a moment before giving into the temptation to say what she is clearly most concerned about. "Can you remember anything from when your mother and father were alive? Your visits here? Your grandfather and I?"
The siblings search their memories. Their silence is telling.
"Well," their grandmother says with a blatant attempt at levity, "I'd always wished you wouldn't grow up remembering that night... when the rebels attacked and Ben..."
Gently taking his wife's hand, their grandfather whispers in disbelief, "Nothing at all of us?"
They debate how much they can say. They debate how much their grandparents really need to know... how much they want to know.
"There was a war," the sister begins.
"We did what was necessary to survive," the brother finishes.
Their grandmother raises a hand to her mouth. Her husband rubs her arm. The sheriff gazes at the siblings in speculation. They see the questions in her eyes but they do not want to hear them. Especially not with their grandparents in the midst of fighting back tears. These few remaining members of their family do not need to think about what surviving a war implies.
"It doesn't matter," their grandfather says finally. "You're both here and you're both alive." He gives them a trembling smile.
Regaining her composure, their grandmother demands shakily, "And you're both staying here with us. We insist."
Together, the brother and sister feel their lips curve into small smiles of acceptance. Pleased that they will be allowed the time to investigate this situation further, they return to their perusal of the scrapbook. The bother turns the next page. The sister folds it down.
End of Chapter Fourteen
Author's Notes: Maybe it's just me... but Heero and Yokaze are starting to kind of creep me out...
