New A/N: This chapter has been minorly revised.
A/N: I think I am going to start putting the titles in Japanese with a word relating to the chapter you can find the dictionary that will accumulate at the end of the chapter.
Wow this is just rolling out tonight! Go Red Bull! Hee hee! Here is Chapter 7 Chuushin?
Angelina looked down at her watch, the stainless steal sparkling in the growing light.
"Where are they?" Angelina groaned. Duo looked up from the magazine he was reading. Setting it aside 002 stood up and walked to his partner.
"Still not back, eh?" Duo leaned on the frame of the entryway to their shuttle.
"No," a sigh of frustration escaped the parted lips of 007.
"Morgaine never takes this long. She knew she was late to begin with."
"Aw don't worry about it, Angelina," Duo idly scratched his head. Angelina's hair was pulled back into a ponytail a thick braid wrapped around its base, still damp from the quick shower in the shuttle port. Duo's hair as usual was in a tight braid, the tip dripping sparkling drops of water to the beat of his steps.
"And why not Mr. I-know-so-much?" Angelina turned her head a little to glance at him. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest to keep them from fidgeting.
"Because Heero's with her, he won't let anything happen to her." Duo explained. Calmly he slid down the railing of the steps, landing next to Angelina.
"Plus they probably only stopped off to pick something up."
"That's not why I'm worried," Angelina, commented dryly. Duo sighed and put his arm around Angelina without realizing it. She didn't fight. Angelina liked Duo. Not just as a friend… but as more. He was cute, funny, and carefree. He reminder her so much of her sister it surprised her. But that wasn't why she liked him. They said opposites attract, and Angelina was coming to believe it. Sadly enough she knew she couldn't be with him. He was her partner… anything more and it may jeopardize any operation they were sent on together. Although Morgaine would always be her main partner and they would normally be sent together on something she still knew.
That night that Duo had taken over the wheel in the Blazer Angelina had pretended to be asleep, copying Heero and Morgaine's breathing patterns. But when she knew that Duo was lost in his own little world she watched him. He had talked to her… yet she didn't answer. He didn't know she had heard him. Heard him say he thought she was beautiful and creative. That he admired her for her bravery in taking the job as a Gundam pilot and also admired her for her beauty. Actually, he had been quite poetic when saying so. Angelina smiled despite herself.
"There see?" Duo smiled fondly at her. "You look much better with a smile." Her smiled faded into a halfhearted fuck off smile. "Oh… okay… or not…" Duo's voice faded a bit. Angelina chuckled and smiled up at him.
"Sorry," She was rewarded with a bright smile from the young man. Angelina and Duo lapsed into silent thoughts of one another.
Duo liked Angelina. He has liked her ever since he had seen her. But that had been a physical attraction. That happened all the time; not matter what the guys may say. But now he found himself falling in love with her personality. It was like Heero's only SO much livelier. She only enjoyed talking when it was to someone she knew or on a subject she felt strongly about. Duo found out, in the last two hours, that she loved music, all music basically; although she preferred to stay with the rock and punk section. Occasionally she liked a bit of R&B and some pop, even a little country if she liked the performer. Her favorite colors were black, silver, and blue and her favorite food was the same as Morgaine's, chocolate and lollipops. She was Morgaine's best friend and felt like her sister sometimes. She had openly confessed that sometimes she thought of Morgaine more as her sister than her blood sister Renee, and that Morgaine and she were pretty much inseparable.
She liked silence but loved their raves. She liked shopping, fighting, flirting, standing up for her sister, beating the crap out of anyone who stepped out of line with any of her friends. Duo had laughed at this. Angelina informed that she and Morgaine would flirt as a pair in a group of guys and then compare notes. Duo smiled, his thoughts still slowly ticking by. Her least favorite foods were carrots and peas and when Duo had said he liked them sometimes she had made the cutest face of disgust he had ever seen. She hated people who were taller than her, and Duo found that funny all in its own.
Duo had found talking to her much better than learning what little bit he had from the CD Heero had. He liked talking to her… listening to the sound of her voice. Although he couldn't get out of his head the argument he and Heero had listened to on the CD. It had been the most hilarious thing he or Heero had ever listened to! Duo remembered it had even Heero roaring with laughter.
Just then Duo realized something. These two girls had brought Heero from his shell and reminded Duo of what he really was. A human… and young man full of passion for life and the love of humor. It was refreshing to remember this. To remember there was so much to life. His arm around Angelina's shoulders tightened.
Angelina looked at Duo and saw him smiling happily as they watched the sunrise from the top of the shuttle. At that moment she didn't care if she was kicked off the Gundam force. She loved Duo. Whether he liked her at all she wasn't sure. He liked her physically she knew but as for enough to return the feelings she held for him… she couldn't say. With a content sigh Angelina comforted herself with the time at hand, snuggling deeper into Duo's arm. Duo noticed this too… and slipped his arm down her back, and around her waist, resting his cheek on top of her head. Maybe… just maybe… Duo prayed and watched the 'sunlight' flood over the area, making the dew damp grass sparkle with prisms of rainbows.
Morgaine didn't move, but heard Heero snarl acutely in his throat.
Why is he getting pissed off? Morgaine thought, fingering the smooth trigger on her gun, tapping Heero's leg with it, signaling for him to get his composure.
"What the hell do you want?" Morgaine said as she turned around, her hair swishing around both Heero and herself.
"I want my money you stole from me." The man had green hair and white blue eyes. He was tall… about as tall as Heero who stood 6 foot. (Let's just say he had a sudden growth spurt)
"I didn't steal anything from you," Morgaine said innocently, her gun was hidden behind Heero near the small of his back. Morgaine felt the coolness seep through the windbreaker for Heero's gun that was pressed at the very end of her back. Squaring her shoulders, she lifted her head so her eyes were no longer hidden in the shadows of her hat. The man took a small step back. Heero saw why. Morgaine's eyes looking like they were made of living blue fire… beautiful blue flames seemed to dance in sparkling orbs, almost challenging the man for her to let them loose on him. Quickly the guy recovered.
"Bullshit," he glared at her, finally realizing that her arm was around someone. Slowly his eyes traveled to Heero. This time he did step back. Heero's upper face was hidden in shadows mystery but his lips were drawn tight in anger, anger that seemed to be begging to release… anger that would lead to death.
"Who's this?" he sneered. "Another one of your customers?"
"Jealous?" Morgaine asked with a hint of anger on her voice… it disappeared before Heero could even be sure it had been there.
"Why the hell should I be?" he demanded.
"Why James? Because Lina turned you down right after I did."
The man growled angrily. "Get lost, before I lose my temper. I'll kill you where you stand without hesitating." Heero felt her tighten her grip on her gun.
"Yeah but would your guy want a whore who kills?" The man shot back.
"That was lame…" Morgaine sighed and turned around, picking up her bag and handing the drinks to Heero. Heero didn't ask questions and quickly slipped the gun into the waistline of his pants.
"Get back here!" The guy screamed as they started to walk down the hallway. Morgaine pulled the gun from her pocket and pointed it over her shoulder in one smooth sweep. Pulling the trigger she put the gun back into her pocket before Heero heard the impact of the bullet. Glancing over his shoulder he saw the guy clutching the area between his legs. Cringing he turned away and looked at Morgaine. Her day had evidently been spoiled.
"You're welcome!" Morgaine called back and frowned at the air in front of her.
"I think he would rather have had you kill him," Heero observed dryly, putting his arm about her shoulders again.
"I know… that's why I didn't… both Lina and I stole money from his family and turned him down." Morgaine sourly tugged at her jacket.
"Don't worry about it. You'll never see him again." Heero comforted.
Why am I trying to make her feel better? Heero asked himself.
Silently he knew why though… he liked her. (Yeah I know I'm rushing the whole hook up of them but… I really don't care.)
"Why let him live if you know he wants to kill you?" Heero asked guiding her towards the shuttle.
"Because," Morgaine tossed locks of yellow gold over her right shoulder. "Next I'll kill him. He probably won't come after me again. He's scared of you." She softly jabbed her finger at his chest. Stopping she sighed. Heero shook his head, watching her lean up against the wall moodily. Again Heero felt the weird feeling over come him, watching her cross her arms over her chest and chew on her bottom lip softly. (Get your mind out of the gutter… . )
"Come on," Heero lifted her chin up with his finger. "He's a jackass, not even worth ruining your day over."
Why is he suddenly so nice? Morgaine thought, staring into his deep Prussian blue eyes. And how can ONE guy be so DAMN hott?
"Too late…" Morgaine muttered grumpily, unlocking herself from his gaze.
"Don't be a brat," Heero said slyly, a playful grin threatening to split his face in half. Morgaine flicked the bill his hat up and stared in his eyes.
"Well your pupils look okay…" She said slowly and studied his eyes once again.
Angelina looked around and nearly choked. No more than one hundred and fifty feet away was Morgaine Keef clinging to Heero Yuy both standing dangerously close.
Duo gulped, he knew jealousy when he saw it.
"You like Heero huh?" Duo tried to keep the hurt from his voice and face. He helped her into the shuttle and stood in the entryway.
"Huh? You're kidding me! Like Heero?" Angelina's giggling tone faded to a more sober one as she spoke. "Besides…" she fingered an amulet around her neck. Duo recognized it as one that looked almost the same as Morgaine's. "I've loved someone for a long time… and I've come to remember what I feel for them in the last few hours." (See… I'm not really rushing it… they've felt this way for each other for a while lets say… and now that they're shoved into one ship… it's coming out. Got it?) Pausing she looked up at Duo who hadn't moved from the doorway.
"Who?" Duo felt his blood boil. The feeling of betrayal washed upon him, fingers coiling into solid fists. All it took was a name… a single name to make him happy.
"Don't you know, Duo Maxwell? Do you know where I got this? Do you remember it?" The amulet was just like Morgaine's now that he looked at it, slipped from her long neck. Set in a platinum and white gold long thin chain there was a sphere shaped diamond… of a rich blue color (it's suppose to match her eye color) rare in these days. It was held in place to make a tear drop shape by a cone shaped top of the same mixed metals as the chain. "You should…" She reached into his shirt and pulled out a charm in the shape of a dragon's head. It was made of well-kept adamatium (I have no clue how to spell that metal…its supposedly indestructible) and platinum. Its eyes flashed with the fiery beauty of the same rare blue mist diamonds (I don't think these are even real but hell… I don't care) the same color as his eyes. "We were young… five … and six. You and Heero were there… we met… for the first time." She spoke slowly… making sure she was heard. "I gave you that… and you gave me this…" Both of the necklaces were held together… the blue lights mixing together analogous to children at play.
"Morgaine has one like that… I saw it… a black diamond… and Heero has a pentacle… the same as the sign of the Wiccan's (Yay! .)… I see Morgaine wearing the symbol a lot." Angelina nodded, a small smile creeping across her lips. Heero and Morgaine walked in… stopping dead in their tracks at the two standing tantalizingly close.
"Glad you could join us," Angelina coughed in embarrassment and took a step back as she spoke. "Could you guys take the controls and get us out of here? Everything's been sent ahead with the exception of our Gundams. "Angelina took Duo's arm and led him back to her 'room'.
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Duo walked through the door… pushing the release button and the door slid shut behind him.
"What do you mean you have met me before?" Duo watched her walk over to a make shift dresser and pick up a hairbrush, running it through her silky hair.
"Exactly what I said… we've met before. It was on Morgaine's fifth birthday… July 25 185AC. Remember yet?" Angelina sat down on the bunk and patted the spot next to her.
"That was twelve years ago! How it the world can I remember who I met when I was seven?" Duo demanded. He was starting to feel like a fool.
"Think back… don't just blurt out… think." Angelina lay back on the bunk, her hands behind her head, watching him.
Flash back
"Duo, I want you to meet someone… two young girls." A young seven-year-old Duo looked up at Professor G.
"Girls? I haven't met a girl before… you never let me talk to them." Small lips twisted into a pout.
"Please Duo, try to behave." This was Duo's teacher, guardian and Gundam scientist.
"Fine…" Duo pouted the whole way there.
"But Master T! I don't wannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnna!" The voice of a girl came drifting to his ears. Glancing around Duo saw the mysterious Heero Yuy and the crazy Dr. J walking in and looking at the young blonde girl who was pulling at the hand of a young almost teenage man with brown hair and piercing brown eyes, a single silver hoop earring in his right ear as baggie pants dusted the floor with each quieted step. Duo liked him right off the bat…. He looked cool.
"Hush Morgaine…" The young man soothed and scooped her up into her arms as he nuzzled her hair quickly in a calming action. "Sorry J, G. It's her birthday and she's been antsy." Both Gundam scientists smiled. "Boys may I introduce Morgaine Stephanie Keef. I'm Nathan Twain, called Master T. Morgie, this is Heero Yuy-"
"That's not Heero Yuy!" The young girl looked Heero up and down before tossing her long blonde hair. "He's too small to be Heero Yuy…" Duo glanced at the other young pilot who glared at the girl on her tall perch.
"Morgaine," Master T pinched her leg gently.
"Fine… I'm Morgaine Keef… Dark Hells Warrior 006 of the GAF. Can we go now? Or can Lina and I at least go play?" The girl was pretty, or so Duo thought. She had big, big blue eyes. Blue was his favorite color. And long, long blonde hair and puffy pretty like bangs with a black headband. She wore a black form-fitting tee shirt and kiddy sized rave pants (Guess you can tell she didn't change her clothing much). Her hair looked soft… and it had a big ol curl at the end.
"Not yet, pumpkin." Master T patted her leg and looked back. "L?"
"She's here… she fell down and scraped her knee." Duo looked towards the sound of the voice and saw another teenage young man walking in with a young girl holding his hand. The girl was rubbing her eyes, her black skater style pants dusted with brown dirt.
"Angelina… you're okay suck it up." The young man smiled down at the girl at his side. Instantly the girl stopped crying and took her hand away from her eyes.
"LINA!" The girl on Master T's shoulder waved frantically and fell off her perch. Master T moved to catch her but she flipped in mid air and landed on one bent knee with the other leg pointed out behind her.
"Opps." A bashful smiled crept across her pretty face. Duo looked back towards the girl. This one seemed quieter than the other blonde did. She had long silvery blonde hair with silver blue eyes. Her hair reached the middle of her calves and swayed as she waved to Morgaine and hugged the girl when she came running up. Duo liked both of them… but he found the one with silver blue eyes better. The one with sapphire eyes only made him think of what a blast it would be to have playtime with her around. He could only imagine the large amounts of trouble they would get into (Too much… good thing they didn't… the doctors and masters would be running circles for weeks while little psychos went running around in space with killing machines at their beck and call)
"Gentlemen this is Angelina Katherine Shade… Morgaine's partner and best friend." The girl stepped up.
"Angelina Shade, Angel Vixen of the GAF… 007." She stepped back with Morgaine's hand in hers.
"I'm Master L… Luke Guilford." The masters all shook hands after this and the four children were left to get to know each other… which seemed like Morgaine and Heero were going to break out in a fight.
"So how old are you Morgaine?" Duo asked, holding back Heero when Morgaine stuck her tongue out at him and waved a rather dangerous looking sword at him.
"Five."
"You're little," Duo said.
"Am not!" Morgaine protested.
"Are too." Heero teased.
"Ten credits says I can whoop you,"
"Ten credits say you can't," Heero countered.
"You're on!" Morgaine jumped at Heero and took a punch, catching the small boy under the jaw. Heero fell back but lunged at her, punching her in the stomach. Morgaine gasped and stumbled backward. Quickly the girl recovered and jumped up and clipped Heero around the ears with a roundhouse. Heero fell back holding his ear without a sound, eyes glaring with pure hate towards the newly turned five year old.
"HEY!" Morgaine was scooped up, as were the rest of the children.
"You owe me ten credits." Morgaine glared at Heero who was getting ready to come after her. Doctor J picked him up and tucked him under an arm like a sack of potatoes.
"Morgaine… I told you no fights." Master T looked down at his little ward disapprovingly.
"He started it!" Morgaine pointed her sword at him.
"And I told you to leave that in the shuttle." The sword was taken from her small hand. "Give what you brought for Heero." There was a grumble from the little girl as she fished in her pocket. She brought out a necklace on a black cord with a pentacle made of some sort of silvery metal, a crescent moon in the middle with one sparkling bloodstone in the middle of it.
"I'm Wiccan… I thought you might like this…" She held it out to Heero. "I'm sorry, Dr. J, for fighting… I didn't mean to hurt him."
"My dear you didn't hurt him… just his pride. He needs that every now and then." Dr. J ruffled her hair. "Happy birthday," He held out a gun to her. (Eep! This sounds so weird… giving a five-year-old a gun…) "Be sure you use that properly…" Dr. J warned. Morgaine looked at the weapon happily and tucked into the leather thigh holster on her left leg.
"Heero," Dr. J set the young psycho down. Heero looked at Morgaine for a minute before fishing around in his own pocket, pulling out a long velvet box.
"Here," He held it out to her. Morgaine looked at him, left eye narrowed in suspicion as she inspected the box carefully while eyeing Heero as if awaiting his attack on herself.
"Thanks Heero!" She hugged him tightly and then opened the box. A squeal of delight escaped her lungs. Clipping the necklace around her neck she held up the amulet for everyone to see.
Angelina then silently walked up to Duo and held out a charm on a black cord. It was a dragon's head with really nice stones in it. Duo smiled and allowed her to slip it over his head.
"Um… here." He handed her a necklace with some sort of blue silver gem on a platinum and gold chain.
"Hey!" Angelina clipped it around her neck with a smile. "Thanks Duo!"
Duo kissed her quickly then scurried away in embarrassment.
Duo awoke with a start and looked around slowly. "I must have fallen asleep…" He mumbled slowly. The room was dark and the sound of steady breathing over powered his quiet sigh. "Where am I…?" He yawned and went to stretched but found his arms wouldn't move. "Lights…" he mumbled. Angelina had said something about computer programs that respond to audio, but they didn't. Looking down he saw that his left arm was pinned under someone's body and the other was wrapped around their waist. "Angelina…" With a sigh of relief Duo fell back, his head landing softly in a thick pillow. Lying there for five minutes he allowed himself to adjust to the dimness before removing his arms from her.
Pulling the covers up to her chin he wordlessly left the room and found Heero asleep on the couch while Morgaine seemed enraptured with some video game she was playing.
"Afternoon sleepy head," she said without looking up.
"Afternoon?" Duo yawned, stretching his arms over his head. The blonde, who was sitting in a lazy boy chair with her legs crossed Indian style, nodded and grumbled something. Her fingers moved across the play station control in a steady rhythm. "What are you playing?" He sat down on the ground next to her chair, leaning against it.
"An RP." Her answer was short.
"Which one?"
"Xenogears. But I'm getting annoyed…" She uttered a curse when the game over sign flashed up. "Dammit… you're worthless Bart… you too Fei. I knew I should have put Emeralda in… Matatron sucks huh?" She looked down at Duo.
"Yeah… whatever…" Duo looked at her blankly.
"I take it you don't play RP's?" Morgaine rolled her eyes and crawled over to the Play Station Gamma (Who knows what PS will come out with in the future so just go with me here); taking out the disk and putting it back into its place. "Metal Gears Solid, Parasite Eve or Legend of Dragoon?"
"Nope… I don't." Duo looked at her blankly.
"No one does any more. No one enjoys the old RP's, either." Morgaine put in the Metal Gears disk and pressed power. (These games would be old in that time and age… well the ones I've mentioned are already old.)
"You seem to enjoy them…" Duo commented. The longhaired teenager nodded. "How long has Heero been out?"
"Um… about three hours. He fell asleep not long after you guys did." Morgaine answered and rubbed her arm. Duo saw a pink scar in the shape of an X on her back. Then he observed for the first time that she had tattoos. There was a Celtic chain like one on her left upper arm, just between her deltoid and her main arm muscle. Another was on her right arm… the Japanese symbol for something. There was a small black one on her lower back of a pentacle. It rested a couple inches above her buttock and Duo figured that she had that one for more that just having a tattoo.
"What's that tattoo on your right shoulder mean?" Duo asked, poking the tattoo.
"Fire." She answered. "This one is Celtic, got it when I stayed in England and this one," She reached behind and pointed to the pentacle. "It's the symbol of the Goddess, like a protection symbol to me. It's the same thing on Heero's necklace. Called a pentacle." Morgaine yawned and cuddled back into her chair, glancing over at Heero.
"Go to sleep…" Duo commanded. She shook her head and yawned again before answering.
"I can't," She stated. "We're almost home and then I've got work."
"Work? We're up in space, Sunshine. How can you be working when you're returning home?" Duo asked, surprised at the nickname for her. He liked it though… it suited her well.
"Sunshine huh? Well I'm not talking about that. Since Angelina's asleep I'm the only one who can get us to earth. Of course I require a nice little run through space to my Gundam. That's why I'm waiting for a couple more hours till I move out." She explained and waited for the game to load.
"Why do you need your Gundam? You would think that would cause more attention on getting us in. Relena Peacecraft has ordered that all mobile suits are to be destroyed. And if a Gundam comes screaming through the atmosphere than you can be sure that a "peace keeping" suit will be on your tail. And those things are a pain in the ass all themselves." Duo explained.
"You think I don't know this?" Morgaine looked at him and then back to TV screen. "I just have to take those down and I'm fine. Besides Relena Peacecraft is a bloody tinker. Getting rid of weapons and mobile suits cannot attaint peace. As long as power and ranks exist war will rage on. That's why we're still here with our Gundams … But still its fun annoying the hell out of her. Midnight runs by her house, firing your thrusters just as you past her bedroom window. You should see her! The windows all blown out and her standing in her night robe on the balcony yelling for her guards. Crazy bugger…" There was laughter from both Morgaine and Duo.
"That I'll have to see…" Duo commented with a low chuckle.
"You'll have to come with me one of the times when I get bored or when she says something about me."
"Says something about you?" Duo asked.
"Yeah… 'And this Dark Hells Warrior is one of our top troubles at the current moment, ladies and gentlemen. This pilot is a Gundam pilot and I have dealt with such people before. Yet she isn't like them… blah, blah, blah yadda, yadda, yadda. You know the usual." Duo nodded and smiled.
"Now I would pay to see Relena get in a fight with you…" Duo commented after a moment of thought.
"You really want her dead?" Morgaine asked. All conversation after that was arrested.
Dictionary:
Chuushin – Innermost Feelings