Chapter Seven

I stand in my private office staring blankly out the big window jut behind my desk. 'I've been such a fool.' I think to myself, and pour myself another straight shot of an extraordinarily aged bandy, and knock it back hardly tasting it as it burned its way down my throat. 'That young girl, Noin, hadn't said there were pictures.' He had been horribly unprepared for that, he had picked up the file just after she left the room and opened it up to see what was in that file that this girl thought would convince Winner to not go after his son. The first page in said file was a picture it was black and white, regular size, of a young girl with a lip piercing, she couldn't have been more than fourteen. The entire right hand side of her face was covered in bruises, lip spilt open, eye swollen almost entirely closed, and on the left side there was a cut that went through her eyebrow and down just a fraction into her eyelid. It was gruesome. That picture was paper clipped to the report that went with it, in cramped writing filling eight pages were Noin's notes, horribly detailed. The next five pages were what Noin had called their depositions, it was written by the young girl in the picture, with an odd detachment.

The rest of the report was again filled with the Noin's cramped hand, more notes on the girl's behavior, how well she was doing, the last part was just a note that the girls parents had failed to get their act together, and that this young girl was going to live at the lighthouse as there organization's base of operations is evidently called. The note its self looked like it was written almost as an after thought, but coming through the hastily cramped scrawl, was anger, and hatred, pure disgust at the parents. Noin's anger.

He must've stood staring at that picture for three minutes before he snapped out of the trance-like state he was in. Winner was furious, he stated he would put an end to this outrageous behavior of his sons, and stood up to go after them. "Sit!" I had yelled at him, he looked at me like I had grown another head, "you will do as she says." I stated hollowly and handed over the picture. His reaction was just like mine only his jaw actually dropped open. I had then told everyone to leave Quatre alone until he contacted us. Took the picture back from Winner and left the room going to my private office, and had spent the rest of the day going through each report. Memorizing it, each report, and each picture, and there were lots of pictures, so much as twelve in one report

I glanced at my desk and stared at the closed file, all Sanq born, all my people. Not even a fifth of what she had. I knew what I had to do, I had to go there and talk to her, discuss this with her. So many things needed to change. I sat back at my desk again, rolling the crystal glass in my hands and stared vacantly down at my desk. This is my first order of business tomorrow, I leaned forward and picked up the old fashioned phone and dialed the number without conscious thought.

"Hello?" a sleepy voice asked.

"Captain, I need you to track down Noin," I pause, "for tomorrow morning."

"Yes, Highness." He replies sleepy-ness gone.

I hung up the phone, stood up and left my office for my bedchamber, I felt so weary all I wanted to do was curl up around my wife and stay there forever.

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The sun was out in full force as Cat and I left the palace. He didn't say anything as we walked down the drive and through the gate, and I appreciated that more than he could ever know. I felt raw; dealing with ignorant people always left me feeling that way. But this was worse I had challenged the King, and I knew he would call on me shortly, and I knew I would have to discuss Jordan, as she was the worst case I had ever dealt with. But those were still some fresh scars I wasn't all that ready to go over.

We were halfway home, walking slowly, when he spoke up. "Luca," he cleared his throat, "I thought you had to pick up something?" he had thought I had forgotten.

"No, I didn't have to pick up anything I just was buying time," I frowned slightly I had hoped he had forgotten my reason for delaying our outing. "I needed to get everything organized in my head before we went, that's all." I look over to him; he had a thoughtful expression on his face, and was nodding his head slowly.

We reached the lighthouse; I rolled open the front door, and stepped inside glancing around, on the other side of the room, near the sleeping mats Wufei was giving lessons, basic science class by the looks of what's written on the black board.

"Here Cat," I said and handed him the other bag, I smiled, "go put your stuff away." He grins at me and took off to the second level and ran across the catwalk toward the spare bedroom we had.

I made my way to my office, Sally was there with Mika, eight years old, male, he was sniffling and rubbing his right eye, I quickly assess the situation, it looked like Mika fell down somewhere, as he had skinned both knees pretty bad, Sally was speaking in quite tones, but the rigidity of her back spoke that something else happened, I stood in the doorway waiting for Sally to finish and for the explanation. Sally stood straight and lifted Mika off the doctor's padded table and put him on the floor, she pulled a green sucker out from her breast pocket and handed it to him, he smiled shyly and took off past me out the door, I had moved just in time.

I walked in and closed the door, moving toward my desk. "What happened?" I asked and sat down.

She sighed, "Walker pushed him down, don't worry he's already been punished." She points out the picture window that was right across from my desk. Walker was standing with his back flush with the wall just near the kitchen entrance, arms straight out with a few rulers on his forearms, kneeling in front of Walker was one of the goofiest people I will ever meet, Duo Maxwell, though goofy as he is, he's just as tormented by his past as the rest of us. He was talking quietly to the boy, berating him against violent acts towards others.

That's something we always have to be on the lookout for, violent children, as studies have proven that people who are abused when they were children, have a higher percentage of turning around and becoming violent themselves. Tears fill Walkers eyes, and he nods agreeing with Maxwell, Duo reaches out and takes the rulers off Walkers arms and pulls him into a hug. I stop watching them as I know the rest, Walker will go apologize to Mika of his own accord, that's how it's done around here, if the child isn't sorry for there actions, we won't force them to apologize as that doesn't teach them anything, what we strive to teach them why there actions are wrong so they understand. They will feel remorse and want to make amends, they will then learn something.

The rest of my day was spent brooding over Jordan, I had pulled out her file from the cabinet and spent the afternoon reviewing it, not that I needed to I would've known this case off memory even if I didn't have an excellent one.

Jordan was my favorite you see.

She was a very smart only nine but brilliant all the same. We aren't really supposed to have favorites but it's hard, sometimes one kid will get to you, and you can't turn from them since they need you, they get under your skin, wrap themselves around your heart and live there, until one day you're surprised to find yourself completely in love with them. That you would do anything for them. Jordan got under my skin.

She was one of the first that came to us for help, nearly two years ago. I didn't know her for very long, only a year, far to short of a time. She died. I failed her. I sat by her side for the last few hours of her life, holding her hand. She was so pretty, dark haired, light eyed, tanned skin, little girl, they ruined that, a chunk of her hair was missing, her eyes bruised and swollen, cuts, scratches and bruises covered her body, her little body sustaining all this injury in less than a twelve hour period. I had told them I would be back in the morning, when I arrived I only found Jordie face down on a threadbare rug in the living room. I carried her home; Sally drugged her up to keep the pain away, and I watched her die, slowly, as her little body struggled for breath.

It was late, the main room was dark, and I glanced at the clock it was just after eleven, I'd been sitting here since I had gotten back. I stood up and left the office grabbing my flask as I went. I walked through the warehouse pausing at the main door to put on my old gray wool duster. I left the warehouse. Walking down the alley and up the street.

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Fathers face was so pale; whatever was in that file must be horrible to make him look like that. He shouted at Mr. Winner, and handed him a photo, his expression was worse than fathers. He took the picture back and left the room telling us not to try and find Quatre.

We sat in silence for a while, and then Mr. Winner got up and left his wife following him. Mother and the Captain left after them talking in low voices. Just Relena, Otto and I remained. We sat silently. I shook myself and rose to my feet.

"Well at least we know he's alright." I spoke, the others nodding their agreement. I shook my head and left the room going down the hall, I meandered through the halls, taking the long route to my rooms.

I was thinking about that girl, Noin, Quatre said that was her name, she was beautiful and she seemed very smart. I was running through everything she had said in my head not really paying any attention to where I was going I stopped when I reached my door. I entered my rooms thinking that Noin was familiar I've seen her before of that I was certain, but the feeling was more than that, more than I might've passed her on the street a few times. When she had looked at me earlier, she studied me with those big dark eyes of hers, she made me want to fidget I hadn't felt the urge to fidget in over four years. It was something about her mannerisms and her eyes that seemed familiar; 'I will have to think about it' I thought as I stepped into the shower.

I spent the rest of the day attending lessons, most of which were exceedingly dull the only one I had enjoyed was fencing, after the hard workout practicing form, movements, and then a match with Otto, I had another shower, and dressed for dinner.

Dinner was pleasant for the most part, father was absent though that wasn't highly unusual, I joked about with Otto and Relena. After dinner I had homework to do, Relena and Otto went out to the movies so I had a quiet night, though close to midnight I was starting to get impatient, that morning I had decided to read that file, and father was still in his office with it.

I was just about to turn in when I heard fathers footsteps in the hall, they sounded heavy like father was really tired. He passed down the hall, and around the corner, I gave him half an hour, then I stole out of my room and down through the halls to read that file. I entered my fathers study, sat behind his desk and opened the file, and with a building sense of revulsion as I read through each report.

It was two in the morning by the time I had gotten through the file, I walked slowly through the halls, absorbing everything I had read, I entered my room and crashed on to my bed and fell into a troubled sleep.

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I leaned against a building and stared at my hands they were all bloody, I even had a long sliver sticking out of my right hand, it must've been three inches long, it was in between my middle knuckle and my ring knuckle. It hurt a lot, but that's what I get for raging like an insane person at Jordie's old house. It wasn't the first time I've done that, but I've no doubt that this was the worst time I put my hand through the wall. I poured some of my liquor over my hand until Sally can look at it, I swear as it burns.

I stumble up the road, and walked through the broken gate, I kept to the path mostly, I am drunk so I'm weaving along the path, quite suddenly I give a lurch off to the left, and meander my way down the row, to the granite tombstone near the end of the row. I collapse to my knees, and stare at the tombstone.

Jordie Noin

Beloved Daughter

Of

Luca Noin

There was no way in hell I would've buried her under the name her bastard parents gave her. She was the daughter of my soul, and I'll always love her. I started to cry at some point as I sat there staring at the grave of my daughter. I leaned against the back of another tombstone and stare vacantly, crying occasionally. At some point I slipped into a half sleep.

Duo Misfit