chapter 8

Was it Betrayal?

"Well, not that that wasn't fun, but what in the hell is going on?" Tori asked.

Wufei looked over at her and saw just how... different she was than he remembered her. She was thinner, a lot thinner. He could see how she wasn't take good care of herself.

He'd take care of that.

"Lady Une can explain it to you better than I can. We'll be seeing her in a short while."

"How long is it going to be before we see her?" She asked, a little annoyed now about things. She was glad to see Wufei, even though he had betrayed her. Sort of... kind of, didn't he?

She sat completely quiet now, forgetting that she even asked him anything. She was just trying to figure things out. Did he really betray her, or was he telling her the truth? And who was that picture of?

No matter how much she tried to get rid of that image of their last departure, she kept on having it rewind in her mind, and play itself at the most inconvenient times. Like now.

"I've known what you were all along. I work for the preventers, and they sent me here to look after you. They want you to come work for them."

She could remember just sitting there, staring off into space, thinking about what he had just said. Her next words were the ones that stung the most, mainly because she didn't know if it was true or not.

"So, you've only been pretending to be my friend. I see how it is."

If only she really could see how it is. She still wasn't sure if she trusted him, at least, not completely. What he had just done, putting himself in a vulnerable position like that, was so unlike him.

She had to trust him, didn't she?

'Maybe just a little.' She said to herself.

"About two hours," Wufei's voice cut in.

"Two hours!"

Tori turned in her seat and stared at him. She was going to be stuck in the car with him for THAT long!

"That's just the trip to the airport. Which reminds me."

He reached over to the glove compartment and pulled out a large envelope.

"Those are your papers, your driver's license, and a passport. There are also some clothes in a bag in the back seat for you."

She pulled out the papers in it along with her new identity. She read over the name and smiled to herself. She had always liked that name. The first one, at least.

"Elizabeth Paole... interesting name. So where are we stopping for me to get dressed?" She asked idly as she looked through her passport.

"That's what the back seat is for."

She turned towards him, again.

"What?"

"I won't look. I promise." He said with a small smile.

Tori grumbled as she crawled over the seat and settled herself right behind his seat. She saw the bag and dug through it, pulling out a pair of blue jeans and a white tank top. Nice and simple.

"Do I get any shoes?"

"They're back there somewhere."

She looked up at the mirror and saw him staring straight ahead, like he was supposed to be.

'Good boy. Now don't turn around and I won't have to rip your eyes out.' She thought to herself.

A frown made itself present on her face as she took off the hospital gown she had been placed in. She pulled on a pair of underwear that she noticed were hers.

'Where'd he get these?'

The bra was also hers.

'Shit! I knew I left a few things there. I need to learn how to keep my room clean next time...'

'Next time.' She thought quietly, as she looked up and hooked her bra at the same time. Wufei still had his eyes on the road.

'Will there even be a next time? Will things ever be the same again-'

"WUFEI! YOU PERVERT!" She yelled at the top of her lungs as she was torn from her thoughts.

He went red in the face as he tried to explain.

"I'm switching lanes, I have to look in the mirror-" He was cut off as she yelled at him again.

Her words were slurred with anger, and... embarrassment.

"Stop thinking I'm looking at you! I'm not! I have more respect for you than-" He stopped talking, realizing what he had just said.

'Dammit, me and my big mouth!'

"What did you just say?"

"Nothing. Just get dressed." He muttered, as pulled the mirror up some more. The last thing he saw in it were her blue eyes, with something twinkling in them.

She finished getting dressed.

XXXXX

The rest of the car trip was quiet and uncomfortable. As well as the airplane ride to the very place she had run away from a few months back. She didn't think she had traveled that far. The car trip had seemed long, yes, but that was expected since she didn't know where she was going. She just needed to find somewhere where she could work. And that just happened to be Florida.

Tori leaned against the window and peered down at the clouds. It was getting dark outside and she wished that she had something to do. She was so bored!

She glanced over at Wufei, who had just finished a book. He looked up and removed his glasses.

He handed it to her without saying a word and she thanked him with a nod.

She opened the well worn cover and found herself enthralled in a story about a friendship between three boys. Two of them were brothers and they had been lied to, and throughout the story, betrayal and lose separated the friendship between the brothers and their lone friend. Until the very end of the book, when everything came down to a meaningless fight between the old friends, and the deceitful person who had broken everything between them. Their friend, named Taka, wouldn't fight back, even as they beat him, he still wouldn't do anything, except for stand after each blow. Until everything came down to the words he said to them, as they continued to pound on him...

"I could... never hurt either... of you. I can't hurt... someone I care... about. I still... love you, both of... you." He said as he fell to the ground, not bothering to try and stand anymore. They all stopped, entranced by his words-

Tori raised her head from the small printed words on the page as she felt something hit her shoulder. She looked over at Wufei and found him asleep, on her shoulder.

She smiled lightly.

'He looks... so more open when he's asleep. I guess he's had a rough time as well.'

Tori looked back at her book, trying to keep her mind off her "fixed" friendship with Wufei. She couldn't stop the grin that spread across her lips. And she really didn't want to.

She didn't finish the book.

XXxX

Tori opened her eyes and saw that the plane was landing. She stretched and then buckled her seat belt.

When had she fallen asleep?

Wufei was already awake and looking straight ahead, like he didn't want to look at her. Tori shrugged her shoulders and stared at nothing in particular out the window as they landed.

XXXXX

"Uh... so this is where you work?" Tori asked as she stared up at the large, gray building.

"Yeah. Come on, Lady Une won't like it if we're late."

Tori nodded her head as she was pushed through the doors.

What had she gotten herself into now?

XXXXX

"I'm guessing that Wufei told you about your situation?" The woman with long brown hair asked.

Tori shook her head.

Sigh.

"OK, well I'm guessing you know who sent that hit man after you, and that he got away. But the man who sent him after you works for a man named Francesco Cardano, the "godfather", as Duo likes to put it, of the Cardano gang."

Tori stayed silent. She knew where this was going, and she didn't like it.

"Simon has been posing as an undercover cop and has just sent information to the cops about all of the people you assassinated. He lied to you about all of them. They were nothing but opposing gang members, or people they were hired to kill. I won't say that some of them weren't innocent, but they were dangerous none the less."

Wufei looked over at Tori, seeing how she was taking all of this. She seemed fine, and then, she started to bit down on her lower lip. Bad sign.

"So, I'm wanted as a murderer. Well, that just makes my life all the more interesting." She sighed as she rested her chin in her hands and stared at the floor.

"It's not too late to join us, Tori. We can solve all of this with the police, and have you live as normally as possible. It's your choice."

Her ice blue eyes looked up from the coffee stain on the floor and looked into light brown eyes. Eyes that seemed honest and caring. Tori's eyes shifted over to Wufei, her eyes catching his. They stared at each other for about five minutes, while Lady Une stood uncomfortably in the room. She coughed, getting their attention.

"I'll do it." Tori said.

Wufei hid a smile behind his hand as Lady Une shook Tori's hand.

XXXX

sorry it's late, but i went out of town for my b-day. YAY! I'm 16! and you know what, i still feel like I'm 15. so, hoped you liked this.

Later,

Robin