Chapter Eight
Morning dawned far to early for my liking, but I got up and got ready for the day, showered, trimmed my beard, changed into my formal outfit and braced myself for the day. I stepped out into the hall, the Captain was waiting for me, he looked nervous.
"Highness," he greets with a bow.
"Captain." I greet back. He hands over a thin file, I open it and glance through looking for the address alone, and I need to talk to that girl. The address, I look up at the Captain. "This can't be right." I state. But the look on his face, the haggardness of lack of sleep, and stress, answers my question. He worked hard no doubt to make sure that his information was correct he probably triple checked the information. I shake my head Ash McMahon's old rundown warehouse, I remember asking if he was going to sell it last year, he said it still had its uses, he looked guarded, and he didn't want me to know. He knew the purpose of the warehouse and he didn't tell me what was going on in my own country. Why?
I snapped the file closed, "get him on the vid-phone." I state to the Captain in a tone that was nothing less than demanding.
He shifts uncomfortably, "I tried Highness, and there wasn't an answer." I grind my teeth, of course not. I hand over the file, and storm down the hall I knock on my son's door, and then enter.
"Milliardo get up." I state to the still clothed young man lying on the bed. I cross my arms and wait, he jerks awake when I spoke and sits up rubbing his face.
"Father? What's wrong?" he asks confused.
I smile slightly; he's still so much a young boy. "Nothing really, I just thought you should be included in this trip of mine." He sits up just a fracture straighter all serious, "get changed Milliardo, and meet me in the entry hall." I turn and walk back into the hall and proceed to my small conference room, my advisors are all there waiting for me.
"Gentlemen," I speak to the room they all rise, I bow, "we are to take a field trip this morning." I spin on my heel and half listen to their confused babbling and proceed down the hall I go down the next flight of stairs coming face to face with my young daughter, my wife, and the ever present Otto. "I would like for all you to accompany me today." My wife frowns at this, just as confused as my advisors but she doesn't babble, she just inclines her head. Milliardo comes down the stairs across from me and I'm glad to see that he's ready to go. I call Pagan for the cars. And wait as the advisors grumble to themselves.
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I knocked on the med door, hoping that she wasn't sleeping in there as she had taken up doing recently. There wasn't an answer, no gruff reply, I open the door and walk in she isn't there and from the state of the room; she hasn't been there in hours. It's not entirely unheard of that Luca sometimes goes for night rambles, a walk around the city a bit and she's usually up to par again.
This time it's different, I stare at the desk, I know that file just by sight, there are only two files Luca has ever owned that were red, one was for Jordie, the other was for something she never spoke of and the latter was in the bank vault and only Luca had the clearance to get into it.
What in the name of hell would've possessed her to pull out Jordie's file? I spin on my heel grabbing her clipboard and walk to the kitchen; it was late, for us already to be getting started that's why I went to get her. I walk back into the kitchen, Duo and Darcy are arguing over something. Trowa pulled himself from the conversation he was having with Cat and turned toward me. "What's wrong Ram?" he asks
I look over the room, and then meet his gaze, "She's not there." I swallowed carefully, "and Jordie's file is out." I say in an almost whisper. Everyone in the room stilled, Darcy walked out of the room, and she didn't say anything. I heard her walking up the stairs and down the catwalk to Luca's room, a knock, door opening, then silence, no voices. She obviously wasn't in her room either.
Darcy came back down stairs, still not saying anything to us, she walked to far wall tapped a number on to the vid-phone, and Grandpa came on screen, Darcy stood like a soldier at ease the same as Luca. She briefed him as what was going on he said he would head right over. The screen went blank.
"Alright," I said to the room, "the meeting of the Eld will be put off for a little while, we might as well go over the schedule for today." I flipped up a page and fumbled through the schedule.
Twenty minutes later the scheduling part of the meeting was over and Grandpa had shown up, Heero and Cat were put in charge of fixing breakfast. While the other held conference with the old man in Luca's office.
"How long has she been gone?" he asked us. The room was quiet.
I clear my throat, "we don't know. She was late to the meeting, I came to get her, and she wasn't here." I stated. He nodded and advised that we wait for an hour then if she still wasn't back, we would act.
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The cars rolled to a stop in the abandoned warehouse district and I got out, the others following suit. The Captain informed us that we had to walk; the gates that led into that area had been locked years before. We followed him up and through an alley way, we walked in silence the babbling of the advisors had even stopped for the time being. As we approached the old warehouse, I noticed signs of repair, the Captain really wasn't wrong there were people living here.
What was Ash thinking to keep this from me?
The Captain led us a little farther into the area; there was an expanse of emptiness around the building, almost like a playground. Just as I thought this, Relena had pointed out a chalk drawing on the concrete it was a grid, for a game, probably four squares.
I found myself standing at the door, I was nervous on the other side of that door could be more children like in the file I held. Only this time it would be much worse as they would be moving, in pain, whimpering. I steeled myself against what could be behind the door, and knocked. For a full sixty seconds nothing happened no one moved, and I dared not even to breathe. Then a clang was heard from behind the door and it rolled open smoothly, a young girl, barely sixteen, with a lip piercing and a light scar above her left eye, going through her eyebrow looked at him. Voices floated out on the air, children talking, laughing. She raise her left brow questioningly I had forgotten myself.
I sweep into a regal bow, and rise, "I am Stefan Peacecraft." I stated and her eye brows shot up, then she frowned and opened her mouth but I cut her off, rudely but she needn't jump to conclusions, "I'm here to see Noin and to return this." I held out the file.
That had surprised her and she took it, opened it up and muttered, "I'm gonna skin her." Then closed the folder with a snap. She looked back up at me, and sighed, "I'm Ramses, and I don't curtsey." She stepped back into the building allowing us entrance.
As my eyes adjusted to the light I really took note of the place, it was being patched up, and still needed some work but it was wonderful. Children were running around laughing, others were playing a game, they were happy here, and they felt safe. I smiled lightly while looking around. Ramses was watching me she was trying to gauge my reaction. I turned to her slowly still smiling, "this place is wonderful Ramses." She smiles a little at that, "it has the feel of a home." I say quietly and honestly she nods.
"Yes, yes it does…" she whispers, and leads us further into the warehouse.
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Who's talking to me? Why are they talking to me?
I open my eyes, and blink a couple of times to clear my vision. There's a man standing over me, a Priest, I sit up and look around, and come face to stone with Jordie's grave marker.
"It's early young one, shouldn't you be getting home?" the elderly Priest says softly to me. I nod and rise, sticking my hands in my pockets, to hide my damaged hand and also to make sure I wasn't rolled at some point in my drunken state. Keys, money, and flask, everything's intact. I head out of the small lovely yet sad graveyard and go down the street.
Just after I had turned the corner, taking me out of sight of the sad little graveyard, I stopped. Leaning against the building I tried to ground myself. I have to get it together before I went home, as it is Ram was going to freak out since I had just taken off but she didn't need to see how upset I was. I rubbed my good left hand over my face and sighed deeply, and started again off down the street, wishing desperately I could just find a hole to crawl in and hide for the next hundred years.
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Ram had been gone for quite some time; she said she'd be right back. Maybe Luca's home and Ram is giving her the third degree. I stand and head for the office door; I open it and walk out into the main room. The children were being unruly as all the Elders were distracted, I glance around looking for Ramses, and I spot her talking to someone I never imagined would come here. Mostly because I had tried damn hard to keep this from him, from them, he brought everyone, even the advisors for god sakes. They didn't need this. I sighed and walked over to them purposefully, Ram heard my approach and turned in my direction, and that alerted everyone else to my presence.
Stefan looked at me, brows raised looking quite shocked that I was there, of course he would've recognized my warehouse, and that I kept this from him, but he obviously didn't think I'd be there. I turned to Ramses and spoke to her alone.
"Dear, I would like to have a word with them alone please." She nods and walks away; it's very hard now to make Ram feel uncomfortable or put-out. She simply doesn't allow that of herself. I grab Stefan's arm and pull him back outside every one else follows us. I take him down a distance away from the door and look at him, "what are you doing here?" I ask, anger showing in my voice.
His jaw drops open, eyes wide, "I could ask the same of you!" he shouts at me, "I could ask more then that of you, you hid this from me, kept me in the dark" he shakes his head. "I could've done something to stop this from happening!" he almost growls out.
I shake my head. Of course he would think like that, but I've learned something about the parents of the children that are just behind that wall, that's human nature at its finest. "Stefan, there is almost nothing you could've done, asides from hire more guards. And yes I did keep this from you with good reason. These children in there don't need a sterile environment to hang out in while there parents are getting their act together. They don't need government run child centers." I pause, shaking my head again.
"They need a home, where someone will sing them to sleep, hug them if they get scared, and kiss their owies better. They need to be loved and living here they are very much loved every one of them. And the kids who run this place don't need the government mucking about in their affairs Do you understand?" I stand there looking at him, I would bet my fortune that he hadn't thought about it that way.
"I have no intention of moving them." He spoke quietly, "but I believe there is something I can do to prevent those things from happening… the things in that file." He stopped talking.
"File?" I don't believe it. "She gave you a file?" when he nodded I swore. Every one looked surprised. "I can't believe she gave you a file." After a moments silence I look up at him. "It had Ramses in it didn't it?"
"The young girl inside, the one who doesn't curtsey?" he asks with a light smile playing about his mouth, and nods his face growing more serious. "What happened to her was horrible." I nod in agreement, but a red file had popped into my head, of a case more horrible than what happened to Ram, and suddenly a thought came to me, she had engineered this; she thought there was something Stefan could do, however she probably didn't think until later that she would have to discuss the red file.
Luca had broken down after Jordie's death; she wouldn't see anyone except Ramses, Trowa and I. She had cut herself off in order to heal and she did but it's still too fresh. I sighed and turned around, some of the children and ventured outside, I called out to one. "Lucivar!" A young boy, long blonde hair, dark blue eyes came running over.
"Yes Grandpa?" he asks politely, the boy was always polite to me but from what I heard from the Eld about his behavior Darcy had been right to rename him from Lucas to Lucivar.
I reach out and ruffle his hair, I know he doesn't like it but I do it anyway, and he indulges me just like a grandson would. "Go get your mother for me." He nods and runs off back into the building.
Milliardo looks at me one eyebrow raised, "Grandpa?" he questions.
I smile, "An honorary one, yes."
Of course the young girl that walks out of the building and toward us really isn't who'd they'd expect to be the boys mother. It was obvious that the young girl wasn't really the boy's mother but they were all still shocked that someone the age of the princess would be called mother by a seven year old.
She sides up next to me and waits for me to begin, half her attention on the playground. "Darcy, stand down the red alert," I speak to her, Milliardo is standing next to me and I sense him shift slightly, he must think the red alert reference was made about them. "I know where she is, roughly." She looks at me I have all of her attention now. "She went to the graveyard, I would imagine she would be home soon." An unexplainable sad and knowing look came over her face she nodded, turned on her heel and walked back inside to tell the others.
"Who's at the graveyard?" Milliardo again questions.
"Noin." I state simply, they'll hear the rest of the story soon enough, from Luca herself. I turn to them, "well Stefan, how about I give you the grand tour?" he nods, and we go back inside.
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I had stopped at a bathroom in the park to wash my hand off, hoping I won't get and earful from Sally about damaging my hand, but after I washed the blood away it looked worse, the blood had hidden the swelling somewhat. I grimace and turn it over, there's a piece of glass stuck in my palm that I hadn't noticed before. The hope of not getting an earful was fully shot to hell now; I head out of the bathroom and walk the remaining blocks to the lighthouse, and the lectures awaiting me.
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The tour actually hadn't taken that long, and Ash had let us wander about, a few times even one of the Eld had asked for a hand with something. I had now, helped do laundry, helped make a snack, and even was a pony in a game of cowboys, my name was lighting. I sat on a box outside in the mid-morning sunlight, leaning against the wall Otto was with me, so was one of the Eld, his name was Heero, a very quiet boy.
Until he had started shouting in Japanese, the kids all turned toward him and then started to head inside. He stood there with his arms crossed looking very serious, it wasn't until almost all of the kids were inside that I noticed her walking slowly down the alley way toward us, she looked like she was made of glass, like if she moved to fast she would shatter. Heero walked passed me following after the other children through the door, he was heading to get the others. I was on my feet now and crossing the playground to meet her.
I had no idea what I was going to say once I reached her but I had to go to her. Something had pulled me; it could've been her dark eyes. I pulled up in front of her, still blank of mind. I looked at her intensely, studying her.
Her hair was all ruffled from sleep, and slightly wet, like she had morning dew in her hair, her clothes were the same, she must've slept outside. Her eyes were red rimmed, and there were faint tear tracks down her cheeks. I hadn't really realized I was staring at her until she started to fidget, that's when I noticed her hand; she had moved her hand out of her pocket and had fiddled with a button on her coat. She was right handed, because she still used that hand to fiddle with a button, even though it was damaged.
I reached out and grabbed her hand, she winced a bit. I pulled out my monogrammed handkerchief; that my mother insisted I carry, and wiped at the blood running from her hand. The sliver in her hand was huge not just in length, but also in diameter it was at least half an inch round. And she had glass in the palm of her hand it was a curved piece of clear glass. It looked to be from a liquor bottle; it was embedded pretty deep. I shook my head, and muttered, "How did you do this." She stared into my face not answering.
I wrapped my handkerchief around her hand trying to stem the flow and looked up into her eyes, I raised my eye brows at her, indicating I was waiting for my answer she blushed, and glanced away. She took hold of the handkerchief and held it to her hand, I released my grip and stepped back just a fraction, when a shout sounded from the warehouse door.
It was Ram. She ran across the playground at full speed and skidded to a stop just before she reached us, she glanced at me and then to Noin, then to the handkerchief she held to her hand that was quickly turning the green handkerchief dark with blood. "We were worried," she stated simply, and grabbed Noin by the coat and led her back across the playground.
Just as they were passing me by Noin reached out her left hand and grabbed my right she squeezed my hand I felt a jolt up my arm and into my stomach and I fell into step with her, and gave her hand a squeeze back. We walked back into the warehouse, and all my fathers' men, plus the Eld were standing around talking about something in a heated manor. We passed by them just out of earshot so I didn't know what they were arguing about. Ram opened the med-office door and turned around, and gave a small start to see me standing there, she glanced at Noin, who had her head down, and then back at me, then down to our hands. She motioned us into the office, and quietly said "I'll get Sally." Then headed off to the group meeting that was happening twenty feet away.
I led Noin into the office and closed the door, I led her over to the doctors table and she hopped up onto it, the air around her seemed tangible with her sadness. I wanted so badly to make her smile, but I had no ideas, I still hadn't though of anything to say.
I stand right in front of her, mind working franticly, when she leans her head forward onto my chest and lets out a shuttering sigh, I pull her into a hug, and hold her as she gets a handle on her emotions.
"I put my hand through a wall." She says whispers, "I was drunk," a pause, "Don't tell the others, they don't know, they don't need to know."
I nod and whisper back that I won't, I rub her back hoping to calm her some, she mumbled feels good, and relaxes against me some more. She breathes deeply, sniffling a bit, and leans back, with her left hand brushes away tears that had escaped her dark eyes. She raises her head up but doesn't look up into my face, or eyes, she just stares at my light gray tie.
The office door opens suddenly, letting in more light, the office was by no meansdark, there was a lamp on the corner of desk that was on, but the blind to the main room was closed, I blink, and turn toward the door, and the young woman standing there. She moves to the cupboards and rifles through some of them for a moment or two. Noin leans back against the wall and again takes up staring vacantly, I hop up onto the doctors table on her left, and I take up holding her good hand and lean back against the wall with her. At this action she turns her head and looks at me, right into my eyes, she gives me a sad little smile, and turns her head away, her short dark hair falling into her eyes.
And in that instant I knew everything, I remembered who she reminded me of.
Duo Misfit.