Heero
Two weeks after the Barton Conflict.
Une waited. It was quitting time for most of her Preventers. The few that remained were only completing their reports. She glanced over at the time and then at the message in her hand. 3 days 6 hours and 10 minutes, that's how long it was taking her to resolve this conflict.
She had promised to protect her and she would. She hired the best using money no one knew about. Money he had left for this exact purpose. Only she knew where she was, what to do and what he wanted - he protection was his top priority. She heard her door slip open and waited until she sensed him closer to her desk. He was the best and she recalled dicussing his desire for a new life with Maxwell briefly over New year's.
"You have it?" She handed him a manilla envelope and waited. She heard him open it. She still hadn't looked at him. "And the information."
"You understand she's innocent and is to remain unharmed at all costs." Une looked at him now. His dishelved brown hair covering his icy blue eyes. "You are a bodyguard, Yuy. I hired you because you're the best and you know how to keep yourself out of trouble."
"Un." He replied staring down at her. He watched as she shoulders straightened with militant precision.
"Mariemaia will be with her." Une told him quietly her eyes leveling with his own. He was the old Une creeping into that stare. It was a warning.
He nodded. She tossed a disk in his direction. "This is all?"
"All the information you need will be on there. Your passport and new identity is in the other package." She rose to her full 5' 8" and moved around the table in front of him. "Anything happens, I'll hunt you down and destroy you. Not even President Dorlan will be able to help you."
She watched as he turned away and silently exited as he arrived. "I did what you asked, Trieze-love. I can't do anything else."
small run down motel just off of the main highway out of Capital City
Heero kicked off his shoes and strode over to the lap top on the bed. He tossed the money evelope onto his pillow and loaded the disk he ahd be given.
"Aedia Mariana Stevens/Eden Marie Kushranada; Born to Douglas Maxwell Stevens I and Cassia Ayne Winner Stevens on July 21."
A picture followed of a two girls one with brown hair and strange gray eyes and the other with blonde hair and blue-violet eyes. The file went on to explain the the first picture is what the girl actually looks like and the other is what the girl looked like disguised. Her medical records proceeded to follow the appear explanation. Heero scanned down the page notting a few important highlighted factors. Allergies, asthma when panicked fibulator recommended, medications she was able to take or not take. He scrolled down stopping at a triple underlined, yellow highlight, boldfaced italicized 16 pt Arial font capitalized word BLIND.
"Has been blind since the attack on the Trieze family home in the south of France at 12. Reason for blindness is brain damage in..." He quickly skimmed over the rest commiting to memory every detail of her handicap. He nodded that the girl was brilliant and savvy. As the file continued to unfold it remarked upon event that occurred in the war that made him ill. An attack on the palace Trieze had been captured in by Romafella had resulted in her condition for the last year - comatose. He continued to read. he reached the last line he nodded closing the file.
He looked over at his cell phone and wanted to call Quatre. The file Une had given him had told him specifically under no circumstances was attention by the media, existing Trieze faction, the Barton or Winners (all groups that appeared to be looking for this person) were to be alerted to the fact that she existed.
The tickets Une had purchased were for tonight. He was to leave in a half hour. He packed away her information removing her new passport and information from the package. Aedia Yukishiro, age 17, married; born in Turkey raised in Tibet. There was another passbook but he knew that was for Mariemaia.
A knock on his door surprised him. He covered everything with a pillow. "Who is it?"
"Aedia." A soft voice sang on the other side of the door. It sounded peppy and overly friendly like Duo's. "Open the door, Hiroshi." He moved towards the door quickly looking through the window at the young female. "You can frisk me when I come inside if that'll help."
He rolled his eyes at the ridiculous statement. If she was able to hide anything in that skin tight ski outfit, he deserved to die. "Wasn't I suppose to meet you in Tibet."
"You were but people were getting to close to the Temple so I relocated us to France." She told him her hands reaching out in the air. "Is anything in front of me?"
"No."
"A man of little words. Most people would have asked me 'shouldn't you have a dog or a stick?' I have a stick if you must know. I just didn't want to take it out in front of the motel staff. And why did you pick a place that smelled so much like urine is beyond me." She reached out her hands a bit more taking a tenative step forward. "Could you lead me to a chair? I'll explain why I'm here when I'm sitting."
He grabbed her hand and sat her on a sofa by the window. "Thank you. I'm here because the file Lesile gave me said that my passport has me married to my bodyguard. I thought it might be more believable if we arrived at our destination together as an actual married couple. I also thought you should get to know exactly what you're in for. Lesile probably gave you-"
"Lesile?"
"Lesile Une." He looked at her, he never suspected that Lady Une's real name was Lesile...Lady seemed more appropriate. "But you don't get to call her that. She wouldn't be happy if you did. We can discuss this later though, our plane leaves in half an hour. We're going to Switzerland then taking a private charter plane to France. My niece is already there being protected by my guards."
He said nothing but watched as she rose and walked towards him. "I'm going to touch you...it won't be inappropriate. I need a feel of you. Can you stand up please?" He did as she asked watching as she stood as close to as possible "Your'e taller than me. That's good. I always liked tall men." Her hands went to his shoulders, down his arms to his hands, "fist your primary hand...the one you do-" He fisted both hands. She smiled, "So am I." She pressed her hand into his fists until they were flat. "You have caluses but they are not from sword fighting. I fight with a sword. Trieze worshipped the honesty of it was a weapon. He taught me to fight before I lost my vision and had someone come teach me to fight after I lost my vision. It helped heightened my senses." She stepped away from him and smiled. "We're leaving soon. I'll just sit and wait until you pack and change...bag of clothing I just purchased outside the door. Their brown and blue, those are my favorite colors. I had the sales person pick out the same style clothing in various sizes for a man. Something in there should fit you. Every else we should give away. If you know anyone...we'll carry it with us until you can send it to them."
Heero went to the door opened it and saw that they were several bags just outside to the left. He shook his head and dragged them inside. Neiman Marcus. And she left them outside. He thought to himself as he entered. He looked at the small girl sitting in the chair. "I can't change with you sitting there."
"Do you want me to stand outside?" She volunteered getting up, he saw in her hand was a paperback novel. "Its not like I can see anything?"
He shook his head bringing the bags to the bed. The phone started to ring. "Does Une know you're here?" She shook her head. He picked up the phone, connected the call and placed it into her hands. "That's her."
"Lesile?" He heard her say happily as she arranged the phone by here ear. "Yes, Lesile, its me." She flinched and pushed the phone away from her ear. He heard Une bellowing on the otherside, "I know...Lesile, don't yell at me...let me explain...I SAID tet me explain. I swear you're as bad as Trieze sometimes...alright. She's in France. I came directly here...you're not going to like the answer...I had your phone bugged with a tracer..." He watched as she as the phone was pushed away. "Lesile says hello."
"DO NOT HANG UP THAT PHONE, YOUNG LADY!" He heard Une's voice screech through the phone. It was the first time he'd ever heard her screech. He finished packing his things and quickly sorted through the clothes pulling out his size. "MISERABLE BRAT!"
"We're going to be late for out plane if we don't go, Lesile. I have a car waiting for us downstairs. I love you." She rushed into the phone. The screeching had stopped and he heard her sigh in relief. "Yes, I will. No, he's dressing...its not like I can SEE anything. I'll talk to you soon. Love ya. Bye." He watched her finger the phone trying, "I don't know how to shut this off." He took her finger and placed it over the off button. "You's would think she'd be used to me bugging her phone. I did it all the time to by brother."
"You bugged Trieze's phone." She nodded and he smiled. "I haven't introduced myself."
"Your name is Yukishiro, Hiroshi. Brown hair, blue eyes born in Kyoto 18 years ago. You were orphaned and left in charge of your family's estate young. You were sent to space with live with your remaining family before the war. Attended a university on earth and received a degree in computer graphics." She recited his cover story to him, "That's all I need to know for now. I'll get you to talk, sooner or later."
Heero finished dressing, zipping the heavy blue ski coat she bought for him. He packed the stuff he could give to Duo, Quatre, Trowa and Wufei in his empty duffle. He left the rest in the room. "Do we have a back story why we are here?"
"Shopping and I missed you." She got up when she heard his approach. "I'm not a clinger, so you won't have to worry about me doing that to you. I am leaner on occasion. I'm tactile because I'm blind. I touch to see." She reached around for his hands.
"You didn't touch my face." He told her leading her towards the door opening it as .
"Eventually." She answered there was a lilt in her voice that made him smile..very little.