Chapter 23
Rei's breath caught in her throat. "No..." Her eyes darted around the room and her hands clenched into fists. "You..." She turned her face to the ceiling. "Give them back!"
"What happened?" Relena's timid voice pierced Rei's anger. "What happened to them?" Relena clasped her hands together and looked around her.
"She took them." Quatre answered, his own voice falsely composed.
"Because of me." Rei whispered darkly. "Because of me!" Behind her, a chair flew back against a wall, suddenly charred. Her hands went to the sides of her head and she squeezed her eyes shut. "It's my fault..."
"No." Trowa inserted firmly. "She took them as bait." He paused as Rei looked up at him. "She wants you to do something, finish this game I would assume, and she is using them as incentive."
Breathing slowing coming under control, Rei lowered her hands and opened her eyes. "Then I'll finish the damn game."
Standing apart from the others, Wufei watched everything with growing irritation. (I know it's not her fault, and she does too. Why is she taking responsibility? And doing exactly what the enemy wants, that cannot be the best course of action.) "You will be falling into a trap if you do what she says." He stated quietly, and Rei rounded on him.
"And what am I supposed to do?!" Rei stood up straight and glowered down on him. "I am not going to just stay somewhere while you three fix things. He," She paused. "They were captured because of me, and I will fix this."
Wufei crossed his arms and turned away. (No point in arguing with a woman. She will get herself in to trouble...)
Relena looked up. She had not overlooked Rei's momentary focus on only one of the missing. "Yes, you will fix this." Relena spat from the other side of the steps. Finding her own resolve, she straightened. "You're some great princess." She glared at Rei. "Bring him back."
Somewhat taken aback by Relena's forcefulness, Quatre stepped away from her, and turned to Rei. "It is not your fault, but we can do something. You are a princess, and you must understand that you can't do this alone."
"We can help you." Trowa summarized quietly.
Rei hesitated. (They will be in more danger if they stay with me...)
"The woman has already taken a good portion of our group." Wufei uncrossed his arms and turned to look at Rei over his shoulder. "If you are thinking about forcing us to stay here because of 'danger', you will be refusing needed assistance." He turned away once more. "She has her bait. She won't need any more."
Suddenly irritated for no reason, Rei crossed her arms and continued to glare at his turned back. "Forgive me for caring." She growled.
"It is to whom your care is directed that's bothering me." He bit back.
It took a moment for the comment to register, then Rei's anger was soon replaced with a faint blush. "That's... We need to get going." Pushing the awkwardness of the moment away, she absently tugged on her skirt and looked around. "Where's the bag?"
Trowa lifted it to her, giving her a strange smile. "Where to?"
Relena held in her absolute frustration behind her practiced calm mask. She had not missed a second of the exchange and understood every said and unsaid word. (How can they? Those three know Heero! How could they just go and imply that he would ever...) Her thoughts drifted away from tangible words and into quiet irritation.
I know it's short, but I promised an update soon, and this is all I could get out right now. Oh and I would like to thank everyone who reviewed my last chapter, thanks, and to those who noticed (thank you B.E.C.A.) I have had a hard time managing so many characters at one time and some of them were getting kind-of bland. So, that little improv (no, I did not plan it) kidnapping scene was a nice solution, ne? Well, drop a line, I like to hear what you think so far! Review!
Rei's breath caught in her throat. "No..." Her eyes darted around the room and her hands clenched into fists. "You..." She turned her face to the ceiling. "Give them back!"
"What happened?" Relena's timid voice pierced Rei's anger. "What happened to them?" Relena clasped her hands together and looked around her.
"She took them." Quatre answered, his own voice falsely composed.
"Because of me." Rei whispered darkly. "Because of me!" Behind her, a chair flew back against a wall, suddenly charred. Her hands went to the sides of her head and she squeezed her eyes shut. "It's my fault..."
"No." Trowa inserted firmly. "She took them as bait." He paused as Rei looked up at him. "She wants you to do something, finish this game I would assume, and she is using them as incentive."
Breathing slowing coming under control, Rei lowered her hands and opened her eyes. "Then I'll finish the damn game."
Standing apart from the others, Wufei watched everything with growing irritation. (I know it's not her fault, and she does too. Why is she taking responsibility? And doing exactly what the enemy wants, that cannot be the best course of action.) "You will be falling into a trap if you do what she says." He stated quietly, and Rei rounded on him.
"And what am I supposed to do?!" Rei stood up straight and glowered down on him. "I am not going to just stay somewhere while you three fix things. He," She paused. "They were captured because of me, and I will fix this."
Wufei crossed his arms and turned away. (No point in arguing with a woman. She will get herself in to trouble...)
Relena looked up. She had not overlooked Rei's momentary focus on only one of the missing. "Yes, you will fix this." Relena spat from the other side of the steps. Finding her own resolve, she straightened. "You're some great princess." She glared at Rei. "Bring him back."
Somewhat taken aback by Relena's forcefulness, Quatre stepped away from her, and turned to Rei. "It is not your fault, but we can do something. You are a princess, and you must understand that you can't do this alone."
"We can help you." Trowa summarized quietly.
Rei hesitated. (They will be in more danger if they stay with me...)
"The woman has already taken a good portion of our group." Wufei uncrossed his arms and turned to look at Rei over his shoulder. "If you are thinking about forcing us to stay here because of 'danger', you will be refusing needed assistance." He turned away once more. "She has her bait. She won't need any more."
Suddenly irritated for no reason, Rei crossed her arms and continued to glare at his turned back. "Forgive me for caring." She growled.
"It is to whom your care is directed that's bothering me." He bit back.
It took a moment for the comment to register, then Rei's anger was soon replaced with a faint blush. "That's... We need to get going." Pushing the awkwardness of the moment away, she absently tugged on her skirt and looked around. "Where's the bag?"
Trowa lifted it to her, giving her a strange smile. "Where to?"
Relena held in her absolute frustration behind her practiced calm mask. She had not missed a second of the exchange and understood every said and unsaid word. (How can they? Those three know Heero! How could they just go and imply that he would ever...) Her thoughts drifted away from tangible words and into quiet irritation.
I know it's short, but I promised an update soon, and this is all I could get out right now. Oh and I would like to thank everyone who reviewed my last chapter, thanks, and to those who noticed (thank you B.E.C.A.) I have had a hard time managing so many characters at one time and some of them were getting kind-of bland. So, that little improv (no, I did not plan it) kidnapping scene was a nice solution, ne? Well, drop a line, I like to hear what you think so far! Review!