CE 74
Sarik rushed through the dark, towards where he had heard a baby crying. But he wasn't in control, and he knew neither where he was nor where he was headed. It was like he was an observer in his own body. What was going on?
Suddenly, Sarik burst into a lit room, what appeared to be a small kitchen of some sort. Inside was a woman dressed in a long night gown, her back to him. She had the same hair color and body shape as Stella, but the length of her blond mane was nearly to the small of her back. It couldn't be her, could it?
"Is she all right?" Sarik heard his mouth speak.
"She's fine," the woman's soft, quiet voice replied. Stella's voice.
She turned around, cradling a newborn child. It was Stella, he had no doubt about that, but she seemed to be older. The baby she held appeared to be a girl. For some reason, Sarik had the impression she would look like her mother when she was done growing, though her head was decorated by a small tuft of black hair.
Sarik's body reached out to run his hand through the child's hair, but he froze when the child opened her eyes suddenly and stared at him.
They were as black as ebony, and he knew he had just seen darkness incarnate.
* * *
Sarik's eyes snapped open, but he neither sat up abruptly nor did he fall out of his bed, as he normally would have. Somehow, he was able to remain lying there in his silent distress. It was merely a dream. Or a nightmare, depending on how one looked at it.
Sarik realized there was a great amount of light shining in through the giant window that made up one entire wall of his quarters, his personal room being no exception. He stared out at the brightly-colored ocean in the distance, trying to recall what had transpired the day before.
He and Amelia had boarded the Ares's working mobile suits, Sarik taking the Astray, and she taking the working Murasame. They had moved in to engage Dominic's BABIs, but in the end, nothing more than potshots were exchanged, as the convoy managed to make it outside of ZAFT airspace just before the pursuing mobile weapons got close enough for their attacks to be effective. Sarik assumed this was because most of the transports had been mostly unloaded of their supplies, the planes' only excess weight, for the most part, being fuel.
Sarik squinted in the bright light, trying to discern the time on the clock that set upon the dresser to his left. For some reason, he always had a tendency to curl up on the left side of his over-sized bed at night, so that was where he had positioned most of his amenities.
But the chronometer was missing, along with the rest of his belongings. What was going on?
Deciding to investigate it later, Sarik rested his head back into one of his pillows and closed his eyes, trying to fall back to sleep. A few minutes later, he was falling into darkness when he realized there were gusts warm air blowing on his shoulder at consistent intervals. Breath.
Sarik glanced sleepily over to his right, noticing a human-sized lump underneath the sheets. It shifted a little, and he got a better look at its face. It was just Stella.
He leaned back into his pillows and tried falling back to sleep when it finally hit him.
Stella? Asleep? In my bed? Why was she asleep in his bed? With him? In fact, what was she even in his room? He thought Sarah had already taken care of that. Was this another dream?
Sarik lifted the sheets up and peeked underneath. She was dressed in what appeared to be a white, knee-length night gown. But that wasn't relevant. Why had he even bothered looking?
Then, he remembered that he had slipped on a pair of flannel bottoms in an attempt to dress for the night, though that was all he had managed to get on, as he had been that exhausted by the time he had arrived at his room. So why were they no longer on his body? He lifted the sheets up again. There they were, at the end of the bed.
Sarik raised his eyebrows as he tried to recall the events of the previous day. The Ares landed, he checked in, grabbed a small snack, and headed to his room. But everything that happened after he had left the cafeteria was a blur. Other than the fact he knew he had exchanged his jumpsuit for a pair of pajama bottoms, he knew nothing.
"Oh my god!" he yelled aloud as it hit him, throwing himself as far away from Stella as humanly possible, ramming the back of his head into the corner of his dresser as he did. As his vision turned black, he heard Stella let out a whiny "umph" as her body hit the ground on the opposite side of the bed. Apparently, he had startled her with his reaction. Perhaps it wasn't a bad thing, either.
Sarik waited a moment for his vision and motor skills to return. As he started making things out, he forced his eyes closed when a massive and sudden headache overtook him. Once it subsided, he slowly cracked his eyes back open, realizing that Stella was kneeling over him, a worried, confused expression dominating her face.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Sarik growled angrily. "Get dressed, now!"
Stella backed away from him as he pulled himself to his feet, managing to get to his feet with the support of his bed. It was then he remembered how exposed he was.
"Go, hurry up!" Sarik ordered her.
Sarik held his hand to his head. How could he have let something like this happen? He knew he had to have been exhausted at the time, but still!And what was worse, he didn't remember a bit of it!He didn't think that his first would be REMOTELY like this.
Sarik quelled his wandering thoughts as he observed the ramifications. What would it make him look like? Would anyone on the Board find out? The law? Children?! This was going to ruin him!
Sarik smashed his fist into his bed in anger. Was that what that dream had been about? This stupid thing that he had allowed himself to do? Was it another of those damnable premonitions? But it couldn't have been. It wasn't like the others. As he moped, it occurred to Sarik that he was sitting there in practically nothing, and that he probably looked extremely ridiculous, especially with his hair being in the mess it was. He would have to get that cut today.
So that's what he would do. Just act like it was a normal day. Nothing was certain. Nothing set in stone. Just had to act like nothing happened...
But what is she was pregnant? That would show up, sooner or later. They couldn't keep THAT secret. He had to find out. But who had the technology to be able to tell or predict that so early on?
Walters. Sarik could trust him. Doctor Walters would know what to do. And if she didn't kill him, perhaps Sarah could help, too.
Sarik rose to pull one of the dresser drawers open, exposing several neatly paired outfits. He decided on a pair of khakis and a plain, black shirt. That would work. Nothing special was happening today, but he didn't want to dress irregularly. That would definitely give him away.
Sarik was sitting with his hands curled around his legs and his back to the bed when Stella left the bathroom, clothed in a dark blue sundress. He was beginning to wonder if that was her preferred color, as black or red was for him.
"Come one," Sarik told her calmly as he walked over and grabbed her hand, pulling her along.
He decided to take the long way to the infirmary. They would encounter fewer people taking that route, and it would give him time to think. There were several possible reactions that he knew he would get from Walters, depending on how the morning was going for the older man. And despite his usually good nature, one of those reactions could be very, VERY bad.
Ten minutes later, Sarik and Stella slipped seemingly unnoticed into the infirmary.
"Sit down somewhere," Sarik told her softly, leaving her at the back wall of the waiting room.
Sarik silently walked up to the front desk, scanning the moderately sized room as he did. No one else but a nurse was there. Good.
"Ma'am, is Doctor Walters available?" Sarik asked casually.
The young woman, who apparently hadn't noticed him entering, glanced up from the paperwork she was filling out.
"I'm sorry, President Ostheim, but he's currently in with a patient," the nurse replied matter-of-fact. "Perhaps I can get you in with him in a few minutes?"
"Is the patient in question in a life-threatening situation?" Sarik questioned coldly.
"I can't tell you..." the lady started.
"You're not a doctor, so cut the confidentiality crap," Sarik interrupted irritably. "Is this person going to die in the next few hours if he's not treated?"
The woman glared at Sarik as she punched a button on the desk's phone. A moment later, Walters answered.
"Lisa, I've told you before, I'm only to be contacted in emergencies when I'm in with a patient," Walters soft voice came over the phone's intercom.
"It's the President," she informed him. "Says he needs to see you."
"You can tell the President that he can get a grip, or that he can shove it..." Walters started to rant in a suddenly irritated tone.
"I have the speaker phone on," the nurse informed him.
"Can you wait five minutes, Sarik?" Walters asked in a sigh.
"Fine," Sarik responded just loud enough for the older man to hear.
And with that, Walters hung up without another word.
Five minutes later, the middle-aged doctor entered the waiting area, searching for Sarik, but only spotting Stella. He began walking towards the girl, assuming there was something wrong with her.
"We need to talk," Sarik said from his resting point along the wall, a meter away from the door.
"Unless it's medically related, you really need to talk with Sarah," Walters informed him.
"It's definitely medically related," Sarik assured the doctor. "We need to talk. In absolute privacy."
Walters glanced once around the room, then returned through the door to the back, Sarik on his heels. He entered into a small office, located just before the examination rooms, and closed the door as the young Extended entered.
"So, what's the medical emergency?" Walters asked, all hint of annoyance gone. "We should make this quick, because I doubt you should keep Stella waiting."
"I think that I've done something bad," Sarik confessed.
"You sure this isn't Sarah's job?" Walters questioned, amused.
"Something bad involving Stella," Sarik continued.
"Uh huh," Walters said. "English please?"
"She was in my bed this morning," Sarik told him.
"Uh huh?" Walters repeated.
"And I had no pants on," Sarik finished.
"Uh...oh," Walters remarked, finally understanding.
"Good for you," the doctor congratulated.
"Don't you understand what this could mean for me?!" Sarik asked in a serious tone.
"Explain," Walters suggested.
"Well, first off, I don't even remember any of it," Sarik told him, his calm starting to wear. "I walked into my room yesterday afternoon, and that's all I can recall."
"Which means there was probably no protection..." Walters deduced drably.
"Uh huh," Sarik remarked, emphasizing each word with a nod of his head in a slow, sarcastic manner.
"I can see where this is going," Walters observed as he looked over a sheet of paperwork, shaking his head as he set it down.
"And she's sixteen," Sarik informed him.
"So?" Walters questioned casually as he picked up some more paperwork.
"I'm three years older," Sarik observed.
"You're nineteen, so what?" the Doctor inquired.
"Do the words 'Statutory Rape' ring any bells?" Sarik questioned, a slight whine forming on his voice.
"No one's enforced those laws in years," Walters replied. "Not between two youngsters like yourselves, anyways. Now if you were my age..."
Sarik let out a loud and audible growl.
"If anyone finds out, this could ruin me!" Sarik yelled. "It would be the career-making case for the prosecutor who found out. 'Billionaire playboy indicted for sex scandal involving Minor.' "
"Sarik, sit down," Walters suggested, motioning at one of the chairs situated along the office's wall. "First off, almost no one knows the girl is here. IF someone managed to find out about this, they wouldn't likely be able find any records on Stella."
Sarik calmed his breathing and allowed a cold composure fall over him.
"No one can find out, regardless," Sarik said adamantly.
"There's a female colleague of mine here who I think we can trust," Walters informed Sarik. "I'll keep Stella around to run a few tests. Why don't you just run though your normal morning routine while I arrange a counsel session with Sarah for you two? Alright?"
Sarik realized this was more of a demand rather than a suggestion. By now, it was too late for him to say no.
"Fine," Sarik complied as he stood. "Give me a call in a couple of hours."
"You'll be the first to hear anything," Walters assured him.
Sarik nodded as he left, glancing over some of the paperwork Walters had lain out. He froze as he thought he spotted the word "herpes" on one report.
"Something wrong?" Walters asked, picking up a whole new stack of paperwork.
Sarik glanced over the line again. He couldn't find it again. He probably wouldn't. That disease was practically extinct. Just his imagination.
"Nope," the young man replied as he almost ran out of the office.
* * *
Amelia was in the process of stalking through the hallways in the odd way that she did when she spotted Sarik leave the infirmary. She was about to sneak on to her next destination when she perceived that something was wrong. Rather than walking with the straight-back composure that he normally did, he was slouching slightly. He also had the most ghastly expression on his face, accompanied by skin as pale as a ghost.
After Sarik was a fair distance down the corridor, Amelia silently darted across the hallway and cracked open the door to the infirmary's waiting room. Something interesting had to be going on.
"...will be here soon," she heard Walter's kindly voice say. "Do you think you could wait here until she arrives?"
"Uh huh," someone replied, an adolescent girl, from the sounds of it.
"Thanks," Walters told her. "Don't worry, we'll get this all sorted out."
As Walters walked back towards his office, Amelia poked her small head inside the room. A quick survey revealed that there was only a single, inattentive nurse occupying the desk at the front of the room, intent on filling out some sort of paperwork. The only patient-in-waiting was a blond-haired girl who looked to be around her age. Amelia wondered if she was the source of Sarik's depression. If that was the case, there were only so many scenarios and combinations of such plausible. It was all so very amusing. Nothing remotely interesting had happened since they settled here after the end of the last war, at least until recently. Now, it seemed, that they were being bombarded all at once. She was slightly insulted by the fact that up to this point, she had almost no involvement in any of it.
Amelia sneaked along the edge of the room, keeping a wide berth between her and the girl. She was nearly to the door that lead to the examination rooms when Amelia felt like someone was boring a drill into the side of her head. She looked off at the nurse, but the woman was so intent on her work that she hadn't even remotely noticed Amelia, who was now only a couple of meters away. That meant only the girl was left.
As Amelia turned her head slowly to look at the girl, it seemed as if all of the blood in her body had frozen solid. She didn't know why, but Amelia felt that she knew this girl, and that she had experienced this piercing gaze before. The girl stared at Amelia as if she were trying to find the most efficient way to kill an insect.
But, as if on a whim, the girl turned her attention elsewhere, and Amelia instinctively reached for her hidden sidearm from the sudden movement. But the blond was now staring off into space, and no longer looked threatening. She almost looked helpless, maybe even a little concerned.
Amelia removed her hand from her holster as she slipped into the back rooms, hoping to find out more of what was going on. She heard someone speaking in an agitated tone from Walters's office, so she forced her back to the wall and listened.
"I think the boy is overreacting," she heard Walters say. "I don't believe that he would allow himself to do such a thing, even if he WERE out of his right mind."
There was silence for a moment.
"Regardless, this incident wouldn't have happened if you had made SOME attempt to inform him about the arrangements that were made WITHOUT his authorization," he accused.
"Yes, I realize the implications of what he thinks he did," Walters said after another moment of silence. "And I realize what this could look like to the Board. But I don't think anything actually happened! If you had simply told him..."
There was yelling from some sort of device, probably a phone.
"Well, you should have made time!" Walters scolded, raising his voice. "You could have contacted him just about any time during his flights to and from Eurasia."
So he was speaking on the phone. And if her guess was worth anything, to his wife.
"You didn't want to BOTHER him?" Walters remarked. "I don't care if he was going through a hard time. You could have at least made mention of it at one point or the other. Sent a text communication or something. At least then he probably wouldn't have ended up in this mess."
There was a long period of silence from Walters, and Amelia could here loud yelling from the other end.
"And would that really be a bad thing? A young man and a young woman boarding in the same quarters? Most would consider it highly inappropriate, if not suspicious! I realize the boy needs more personal responsibility, but just dumping THIS responsibility on him without any sort advance notice was stupid! You're the only one who would have arranged something like this!"
Walters let out a light groan as the yelling intensified. Amelia could even make out a word here and there, and by now, was adamant in her assumption that it was Sarah.
"Look, Sarah, I didn't call to fight," Walters told her, calming down. "I'm sorry I lost control. We need to do some tests on Stella to confirm a few things. Do you think you could come down here and help out? You can tell just by looking at her she's not very comfortable with all of this."
Another moment of silence. A long and awkward silence.
"Yes, we can do those tests while we're at it," Walters replied. "Might clear up some issues. All the more reason you should be here."
Amelia began creeping back towards the entrance, as she knew the conversation was ending.
"All right. See you in a few minutes. Love you."
Amelia quickly slipped back into the lobby and made a beeline for the exit, not caring about being spotted by Stella or the nurse. She had to find Sarik and figure out what happened. She had a good idea of what had transpired, as she knew this was exactly how he would be acting in that situation.
* * *
Sarik lugged the heavy cases into the indoor firing range. He had been smart enough to equip his ear plugs before hand, so the combination of security personnel and Extendeds firing their weapons did not bother him.
What DID bother him was the weight of the weapons he was carrying. They were all locked into plastic cases or covered by vinyl sleeves, making them somewhat difficult to grasp. Besides that fact, he was probably carrying ten different guns. One of the techies had asked him to try out some a few of the new rifles that were fresh off the assembly line, along with some of the new plasma-based ammunition designed specifically for them. Of course, Sarik could never give up a chance to try a new weapon, not even once. As a result, he was lugging nearly eighty kilograms worth of equipment, and this morning, he just didn't have the extra spunk after his horribly failed attempt to keep breakfast down. He knew he looked ridiculous taking one exaggerated step after another as he approached his booth.
He let out a sigh as he set the cases on the ground. He probably had enough ammunition here with him to make a mid-powered explosive. What a wonderful thought.
Sarik decided to take it easy for starters. He popped open the smallest case and pulled out his .45, which he had yet to holster, and hopefully wouldn't have to today. He clipped one of the paper targets lying in a stack in the booth onto the wire hanging above him, then punched a distance into the small computer built into the left side of the booth. The wire pulled the man-sized sheet out to a range of twenty five meters and stopped.
After donning a pair of ballistic glasses, Sarik loaded the large pistol and lined up with his target. Then, he quickly snapped off a pair of shots. One hit in the stomach area of the target, while the other hit it in the hip. A horrible set, as he was aiming for the upper chest.
Sarik realized then that his breathing was erratic. He calmed himself, then let loose another pair of shots. They both nailed the target where the chest would have been, though they were probably a little low for a heart shot.
Why was I so stupid?! Sarik asked himself as he fired another shot, not really paying attention to the results. He had always known this wasn't something he wanted. The way things were looking, he wasn't going to be around much longer. He hadn't the right to possibly force such a burden on someone, Stella especially. There was no way she could handle that responsibility, especially on her own. She probably had no idea what had transpired, did she? Even if nothing came of this, it still wasn't right. What was it called? A one night stand, right? People like that disgusted Sarik. Men who took advantage of others like that were nothing more than animals, no better than dogs on the street. They viewed people as a source for gratification or a means-to-an-end. And in this case, he had taken advantage of someone who probably had the maturity of a pre-adolescent, if Sarah's assessment had been correct. Was this the level that he had fallen to?!
Sarik finished emptying the pistol's magazine, then placed it back in its foam-lined case. That was enough of a warm up. He set the container on the ground and picked up one of the guns encased in leather.
As Sarik was loading the sniper rifle, he couldn't help but become annoyed at three Extendeds in their early teens occupying the booths to his right, who were shooting erratically with their pistols. Normally, the young Extendeds that the company had taken responsibility for wouldn't bother him, except that they were unloading entire clips on their targets in less than twenty seconds per magazine. A pointless waste of ammunition, and was poor practice for habit, though he assumed that there was some sort of contest going on, though what kind, he had no idea. Perhaps he would join in in his own way.
Sarik finished preparing his rifle and set up another target. It began moving down the range, and everyone within four booths of him averted his gaze as it traveled past the two hundred meter mark, eventually stopping several seconds later at five hundred meters.
Sarik extended the bi-pod attached to the bottom of the rifle's barrel and began sighting in. A minute later, a deafening boom engulfed the range as a 9mm ultramagnum cartridge ignited, sending its bullet flying at speeds excess of one thousand meters per second. The target fluttered as the round struck. Sarik waited for the paper to settle, then let another shot loose from the semi-automatic weapon. Six additional shots later, the internal magazine ran dry. Sarik set his rifle down as he called the target back. Happy with the results, he rotated the sheet parallel to the wire and sent it back out to five meters. Every one of his shots had hit the head dead center, creating a roughly circular-shaped hole about two or three centimeters wide.
Sarik smirked when the shooting to his right abruptly ended. The Extended closest to him shrugged his shoulders, and all three of the trainees began packing their weapons. After he was satisfied they wouldn't start back up, Sarik disposed of the trashed target and prepared his next weapon. He decided to practice with the light machine gun. Not his favorite weapon, but it occasionally had its uses.
* * *
Amelia strolled into the firing range carrying her own choice of weapons. Contained within the two cases that she held was her personalized submachine gun and .50 caliber sniper rifle. She had become efficient with both, and even had some experience with them in combat. But she wasn't here for the practice. Not today.
As Amelia walked by the booths, she observed that one of the new Extendeds having a hard time with his weapon, a mid-caliber pistol. He was probably recently rescued, as he only looked to be twelve or thirteen. She felt it was really a shame that Sarik was having them trained at such an early age, but she knew it was necessary. None of this would be here right now if not for some of the operations that they often ran against Blue Cosmos and other problematic organizations, several of which she had participated in.
Amelia set her cases down, and as the boy was reloading, walked into his booth and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
She soon realized her mistake as the boy grabbed her by the wrist and tried to force her arm behind her back. Amelia quickly countered, and easily broke from the child's grasp.
"You're shooting too fast," Amelia informed him once he had calmed down, motioning at the target ten meters away, which was riddled with bullet holes in all parts of the body. "Fire in timed sets of one or two rounds so that you can let your gun level. You're shots will be a lot more accurate."
After displaying a warm smile, Amelia walked back to her equipment and picked it back up. Soon, she found herself in the booth to the left of Sarik's.
Sarik noticed Amelia as she was partially done loading her sniper rifle, and began loading one of his own. It looked like one of the new 11mm variants that were still being tested, the one designed for those new "charge" rounds, bullets using a new plasma-based propellant. One of the younger techs had once had the nerve to boast that the 11mm sniper round was even more accurate and powerful than the ones used in Amelia's customized .50 cal, despite the 11mm cartridge's significantly smaller size. She had yet to get her hands on one to prove him wrong.
Sarik had set his target at 300 meters. After his target stopped moving, Amelia set hers at 500, and, as she expected, Sarik reset his to 600. After a moment of playing cat and mouse, they both gave up at 900 meters.
It was nearly two minutes later when they both began firing. Sarik fired three times, then called his target back. Amelia did the same, though taking much more time in between shots.
When the targets returned, Amelia proved to be the victor. Sarik's shots were within millimeters of each other, but horrible compared to his norm, even considering the fact that he was using a new gun. Amelia's, on the other hand, were almost perfectly on top of each other, the rough edges of the large hole barely noticeable.
"What do you want?" Sarik asked loudly as he clipped another target onto the wire, though with the ear plugs and the gunfire, no one but Amelia would be able to hear him.
"What happened?" Amelia questioned as Sarik began loading another of his guns, a more familiar shorty assault rifle that had been out for a few months.
"With what?" he inquired as he sighted on his target.
"With that girl," Amelia told him.
She noticed Sarik move the rifle's selector switch from semi to full automatic, and soon after, he unloaded the gun's entire clip on the target, blue flames spitting from the assault weapon's barrel. When Sarik recovered the paper sheet, it showed that his attack was incredible accurate, managing to place all of his bullets in the chest or stomach area. But for him, it was still a bit off, though normally, he was smart enough to fire in bursts. Something was definitely bugging him.
"Its of no importance to you," Sarik answered as he practically dropped the gun and walked off, leaving all of his equipment in the booth.
"It's obviously enough to be bothering you," Amelia remarked as she caught up with him.
Sarik held a door open for her, pulling his ear plugs out as he did.
"And it should bother me, and me alone," he replied. "It would be better if you would not get involved."
"I know who she is," Amelia told him. "She's the girl in that picture."
"Yes, I know," Sarik said as they walked down the corridor briskly.
"Which means I have a score to settle," Amelia informed him.
"It was eleven years ago," Sarik said. "She won't even remember you. I don't think she really remembers me. I was just the first thing she saw after waking up. A mother hen reaction."
"Ya, right," Amelia remarked sarcastically under her breath. "Just as long as she won't go psycho on me during one of her flashbacks, we'll be fine."
"Again, not your problem," Sarik assured the teenage blond.
"If she hurts anyone, it will be," Amelia told him. "You know how I am."
"She won't," Sarik replied in a harsh tone that ended the conversation.
Amelia sighed, then broke away from him into a branching corridor. It was obvious the conversation was over.
* * *
As Sarik watched Amelia walk off, his cell phone went off, startling him. This wasn't good for him to be so jumpy. If this kept up, he would end up hurting someone.
"What's up?" he asked as he attached a headpiece to his ear.
"We have a problem with the ZAFT agent," one of his Coordinator body guards told him. "She just knocked out the security personnel we had stationed outside of her room, and is currently loose in the facility. Two of us are in pursuit."
"Alright, where's she seem to be headed?" Sarik asked, moving down the corridor as fast as he could without running.
"Research and development," the Coordinator replied.
Sarik broke into an all out run. That's where he was headed just now. He could head her off. But how did she know where to go? She wasn't moving in that direction by sheer accident.
As Sarik came up on the next corridor, a mane of black hair went rushing by.
Sarik darted after the smaller girl, who was surprisingly fast for her age, even for a Coordinator. But, due to his taller build, he caught up with her quickly and tackled her to the ground, though he did not put the full force of his weight behind it, not wanting to harm her. His mistake.
The girl bashed her head upward, catching Sarik in the mouth. He almost reared up out of reflex, but was able to stop himself, knowing that she would wriggle free if he did.
"Settle down," Sarik ordered her, forcing more of his weight into her back. He held her like that until two of his personal guard caught up with them.
Sarik made eye contact with one, who nodded in compliance and pulled his side-arm from its holster, pointing it at the two on the floor.
"I'm going to get up slowly," Sarik told Anika. "Don't try to run."
Sarik kept a hand on the small girl's shoulder as he picked himself up, sliding his legs forward so that he wouldn't have to let go of her as he rose.
"Now stand up slowly," Sarik ordered her, stepping forward into the corridor to block off all routes of escape.
The girl rose to her feet, as ordered, surveying the area the entire time for a way to escape, as Sarik predicted.
"Back to your room," the other of Sarik's men ordered, putting his hand on Anika's shoulder just as Sarik was reaching out to stop him.
The girl saw an opportunity and took it, grabbing the other Coordinator's hand and breaking his wrist. She was going for his pistol when Sarik pulled out his own side-arm and shot.
The girl collapsed as a .45 caliber round stuck into the back of her knee. Anika let out a cry unfit for any soldier as she writhed helplessly on the floor, an overloaded shock round pumping dangerously high amounts of electricity through her body, more than enough to stop a determined coordinator or Extended.
"I warned you once," Sarik reminded her, firing another round into her back as she tried to rise, though he quickly realized it was completely unnecessary. "Next time, it's for real."
The young girl took a moment to glare at him in rage before the able Coordinator guard lifted her up and began carrying her towards the infirmary.
"Take her back to her quarters," Sarik ordered him. "Have a doctor care for her there."
"We need to adjust the security arrangements," Sarik told the other. "Walk with me for a moment."
* * *
Sarik sighed as he strolled in the opposite direction. She was merely a child, and he had intentionally tortured her in order to get a point across. He knew that second shot was out of anger, a deliberate act. It was completely wrong. One did not harm children, even for the greatest of reasons. Why did he threaten her as he did? He knew that if it truly came to it, he wouldn't be able to go through with it. Just another entry to add to his list of bad events this day.
Sarik stopped for a moment as he came upon the R&D center, wondering if what everything he was doing was right. He quelled his doubts as he ran a keycard through the scanner and the doors separated. Doubts were for those who had no direction.
* * *
Amelia slipped in the doors behind Sarik just as they sealed shut. What business would he have here? No one had called him, as far as she knew, and Amelia knew he absolutely hated dealing with the engineers down here when they did. He had complained incessantly about it only a year before, when everything was hectic.
The sixteen year old girl watched from the shadows as Sarik was met by an older man that she was unfamiliar with. Amelia followed them towards a section of the facility that she never realized existed. But who would? The entrance to the location was completely inconspicuous, even to her. Perhaps it was added on recently?
"I want you to input all of the mobile suit data from the skirmish in Eurasia into the Zero project," she heard Sarik order. "I want all fighting styles to be analyzed and the weapons aboard the mobile units to be modified for all variations that we have observed so far."
"What about the salvage from the Destroy, sir?" Amelia heard the unfamiliar man ask.
"Analyze it, and see if we can reverse engineer the technologies," Sarik told him. "I'm particularly interested in the enhanced neuro-link tech. I think it could significantly improve the TacStar devices, and perhaps help even us with our trouble involving the mobile platforms."
"But only an Extended would be able to use those particular devices if that technology were to be integrated into ours," the man observed. "Maybe a Coordinator, if I had a couple years to perfect them."
"Not your problem," Sarik told him. "Now, how is construction of the Corsair and its support ships coming along?"
"We're nearly finished," the engineer informed him. "We've already begun loading supplies aboard them. All that the ships need now are bridge crews."
"Have you found suitable candidates?" Sarik inquired.
"Yes," the man replied. "Including several of those you referred. I think you will be pleased with my recommendation for the Commanders."
There was silence for a moment. Sarik was probably looking down some sort of list.
"I am pleased," Sarik commented with a hint of enthusiasm. "Your recommendation for the Corsair is a bit young, but suitable. How quickly can you have the crews trained? We may need to make use of these resources in the immediate future."
"I can begin right away," the man informed him.
"Then do so," Sarik ordered. "These two projects are your top priority. I want them both ready for launch by the end of the week and fully operational within a week after that, if nothing occurs before then."
"We'll try our best," the man complied.
"I trust you will," Sarik commented. "That's the entire reason I made you head of this project."
Amelia heard the older man sigh.
"I know," he assured Sarik. "I just don't like the fact that we have to do this in secret."
"We're at war with organizations just as secretive, if not more," Sarik reminded. "The difference between us and them is that we want to build, they want to destroy."
"The use of nuclear technologies isn't exactly what I consider constructive," the man told Sarik.
"We'll see," Sarik finished after a tense moment of silence. "Have a good day, Michael."
Amelia was so caught up in the conversation that she had forgotten where she was. She quickly stalked back along the way she had come and waited for Sarik to leave. He did so without a second's glance.
Amelia slipped out behind Sarik just before the doors closed, thinking she hadn't been caught.
"So you know," Sarik remarked, stopping in his tracks.
"Somewhat," Amelia replied, knowing she'd been had.
"Good," he said. "Because you're a part of it, now."
Amelia stared at the back of Sarik's head in confusion, then reacted as he tossed something towards her. She snatched the small object out of the air. It was a datapad.
"That's to help you with everything that's about to happen," Sarik informed her. "Found it lying around in a ZAFT warehouse. Figured someone could use it."
Amelia stared at the blank, hand-held screen. She wondered what he meant.
But before she could look up and ask, Sarik was already gone.
Amelia shrugged, then powered on the small device. "YFX-600R GuAIZ Experimental Firearms Type Mod 0" appeared on the screen.
* * *
Sarik walked with a solemn air about him as he proceeded towards the infirmary. It had only been a couple hours since he left Stella with Walters, and the doctor had betrayed no emotion when he last called Sarik. Hopefully that meant things could be either way.
Sarik entered the infirmary waiting room, surprised that no one was there. Normally, it was packed by mid-day.
Sarik walked up to the desk and asked the same nurse from earlier for Doctor Walters. A few minutes later, the middle-aged man joined Sarik in waiting room.
"Well, Sarik, how was your morning?" Walters asked him casually, shifting through various articles of paperwork.
"Horrible," the young man replied irritably. "You have the results?"
Walters face went blank.
"Well, Sarik, I need you to be calm, as the news could good or bad, depending on how you take it," Walters replied. "It looks like you're going to be a father."
Sarik froze as every muscle in his body seized up. His stomach began cramping, and pain cut through his head like a knife. An entire morning's tension was taking its toll all at once.
Walters, however, did not seem to take notice.
"According to the genetic testing, she'll weight approximately three point five kilograms at birth, have black hair, and purple eyes," he continued.
Sarik, however, barely registered any sound, much less the words that Walters had just spoken. He looked up as everything became an extremely bright white, and an intense throbbing sound dominated his sense of sound.
How could this happen? What were the chances of it all? Was it fate that had manipulated events like this? Some sort of God? A world conspiring against him?
"Sarik?" Walters's voice echoed lightly through his head. "Are you all right?"
The brightness overwhelmed Sarik, and he collapsed to the floor.
"Sarik?!" he heard an indecipherable woman's voice yell before he fell unconscious.
* * *
Sarik awoke on an examination table, three figures hovering over him. Two of them were yelling.
"You are a complete bastard!" he heard Sarah yell. "You went too far this time!"
"I didn't think the boy would faint from it!" Walters retorted. "It was meant to be a split second joke."
"That's not something you joke about," Sarah replied darkly. "You'll be lucky if you keep your job after this."
"Why don't both of you shut up," Amelia suggested. "It's pointless to argue now."
"Now listen here, Young Lady..." Sarah started.
"She's right," Sarik said, opening his eyes. "It's pointless to argue now."
Sarah let out a sigh of relief.
"I thought you would never wake up," she told Sarik. "I didn't realize that you hadn't had a dose of your medication since you left the base three days ago."
Sarik thought back on it. He hadn't, had he?
"That was very stupid, considering the stress you put yourself through the entire time," Sarah informed him.
"It was also stupid of you to not have come to me after having a concussion," Walters remarked.
"Concussion?" Sarik asked.
"Yes, an MRI revealed that you had a concussion within the past twenty-four hours," Walters informed him.
That explained why he was unconscious after hitting the dresser.
"Well, now that everything is said and done," Sarik remarked. "What are we going to do about this?"
Sarah glared at Walters, like he was supposed to tell him something.
"Well, you see, that show earlier," the man started. "It meant as a harmless joke. You know, to lighten the mood later on?"
Sarik kept still as every muscle in his body seemed to pull itself towards Walters in an attempt to tear him to shreds. Sarah was right. That wasn't something to joke about.
"In fact, further testing showed that Stella has never had sexual intercourse in her life," Walters informed frankly.
Sarik felt every muscle in his body relax in that second, and he let out a large sigh in relief.
"Though it's a good thing that she didn't, because if you had, there's a good chance you two would be eloping," Walters finished somewhat jokingly. He was soon hunching over as Sarah planted a most powerful punch in his stomach.
"I've never done that before," Sarik admitted. "My pants, I mean."
"You did a couple times after we brought you home from that facility," Sarah told him. "You slept pretty restlessly for the longest time."
"Well..." Amelia said as she looked off towards one of the walls.
Sarah looked around Sarah at Amelia, who was sitting in the back of the room behind the older woman.
"What?" Sarik inquired.
"Oh, nothing," she answered. "Just today. Nothing out of the ordinary."
Sarik glared at her. He tolerated her attitude because she was his friend, but this entire affair was getting awkward.
"I wouldn't have thought anything happened if Sarah had done her job correctly," Sarik remarked, glaring up at the black-haired woman.
"I didn't really have a chance to," Sarah replied in her defense. "And if you had been a little more observant, you would have noticed most of your things were in boxes.
Sarik sighed. He had noticed that on his way out this morning. He wondered how he had missed it earlier.
"Well, at least nothing came of it," he huffed. "All is well."
He turned to Sarah, a stern look on his face most his age were incapable of.
"But could speak to Stella about certain...subtle things for me?" Sarik requested, a slight blush forming on his cheeks. "Like why to not crawl into bed with other people? There is only so much that would be appropriate for me to discuss with her, I would think."
Sarah sighed.
"I probably should have taken care of that a while ago," she admitted under her breath as she calmed herself. "But now will not do. I think you need to apologize to Stella. Right now."
"For what?" Sarik questioned, the insult obvious in his voice.
"You gave her quite a scare this morning," Sarah informed him. "She was crying when I got here."
Sarik glanced up at the ceiling and scratched the back of his head. Then he realized something. He still had to go into town and get his hair cut.
"Do you think she could survive in public for a few hours?" he asked Sarah.
"I don't see why not," she replied. "Why?"
"I need to go into town," Sarik told her. "Take some time to cool down. I wondered if you thought she would mind coming along."
"I don't think she should mind at all, though it isn't me you should be asking," Sarah said. "It's been so long since you've been on a date."
Sarik glared at the older woman as he began blushing again.
"I don't think of her like that," he growled, his face growing stern again.
"Now, now, be honest with yourself," Sarah taunted.
"I'm being as honest as I can," Sarik replied, standing. "If I had a sister, I would hope she was Stella."
"Very well," Sarah complied, her tone indicating she wasn't convinced. Sarik had to admit, his own words sounded unconvincing to him, too, though for other reasons than Sarah's implications. It had been so long since he had seen Stella. Things could easily be different.
"Would you like an escort?" Amelia asked, trying to betray no emotion in her voice.
Sarik, however, detected hints of concern, fear, and...jealousy, maybe?
"I don't know," he told her. "Do you think three could fit on a motorcycle?"
"You're going on that thing?" Sarah questioned, concern flooding her voice.
"I don't see why not," Sarik answered. "It's quick, maneuverable, easy to start up. If we ran into trouble, I could have us moving almost instantly."
"And you could be killed just as instantly," Sarah replied.
"Well, we're not going to run into any trouble," Sarik informed her. "I had three security suites set up in town on my way back from Eurasia. There can be ten security personnel anywhere within a minute of my beckoning call."
Sarah sighed.
"Nothing I can say would stop you at this point, would it?" she asked.
"Nope," Sarik replied, barging out of the room confidently. Perhaps a little too confidently.
A few minutes later, he was pulling Stella along towards the exit.
"He really needs to learn how to interact with women properly," Walters remarked, shaking his head.
"You have no idea," Amelia almost laughed as shook her head with him, though it was quickly replaced with a frown.
* * *
Sarik sped along the highway, enjoying every minute of it. Next to flying, this was his favorite thing to do. The illusion of freedom it gave was like ecstasy for him.
Though, today, he was taking it relatively slow, as he had a passenger, and wasn't sure how she would react. However, he had slowly brought up the speed over time, and Stella didn't seem to have become unsettled. Every time he peered into one of his rear-view mirrors, he found her staring off at the ocean, which was just off of the cliffs that the highway was built on.
After stopping at a local spa to get an almost military-style hair cut while simultaneously spending nearly an hour attempting to explain to Stella the concept of a magazine, Sarik cruised down the main road of the small, beach-side town for a few minutes. While it had no skyscrapers, or even a skyline that exceeded thirty meters, there were many specialty shops within it, along with a few world-class restaurants. And though the island was small and generally unnoticed by most of the world's governments, it proved to be the ideal location to enjoy a weekend, and received tourists frequently. However, this particular day seemed quiet, with only an occasional vehicle parked on the streets outside of the many shops that dominated the central section of the community.
Sarik continued to cruise along the lane, maneuvering the motor bike into a parking spot when he arrived at the location for which he was searching. After ensuring the kickstand was fully extended, Sarik stepped off of the small vehicle and offered Stella his hand, partially lifting her off with his strength alone. As she came to a rest on the ground, she grasped his arm lightly and forced herself close to him.
Sarik blushed slightly and was about to break away from her grip when he noticed that as she did this that she was looking around as if something was frightening her. In fact, the entire stance was like that of a frightened child clinging to her mother or father. And Stella seemed truly frightened, something that concerned Sarik. Perhaps it had been stupid to bring her somewhere this unfamiliar. But why was she acting this way now? He thought she had been fine earlier.
Sarik decided to allow her to continue holding him as such until she had calmed. A moment later, everything about Stella's demeanor relaxed. Keeping her grip on his arm, she looked up at him, a soft and questioning expression on her face, as if she were asking, "Well?"
So Sarik took a step forward, assuming that Stella would follow along, inconspicuously breaking the awkward position that he felt they were in. However, she stepped with him, and in all of her grace, managed to hold the exact same position the entire time.
Sarik sighed, then glanced around. There was really no one to see him with her like this. Impulse took over his personal logic, and he stepped forward towards the small restaurant. Breakfast had been a no-go, and after the mornings events, he was starving. After having spent several days on rations, he needed something far beyond "out of the ordinary".
Sarik and Stella were soon inside of restaurant, waiting for the host to seat them. Sarik used the time of relative peace to come to terms with himself. Thinking about it now, the way he and Stella were together like this wasn't all that uncomfortable. He might even be able to derive some sort of pleasure from it, if he would allow himself to relax that much.
But was it right? Would it be right to think of her in that way? First off, he was nearly three years her senior. If they were both adults, that might not make much of a difference. But for most people their ages, it was nearly worlds apart. And considering Stella's prior actions and reactions, he was willing to bet that she had been kept ignorant of many things that most her age were well informed about. The morning's scare made him think about how easily someone could take advantage of her in so many respects.
And that was another thing. If he started thinking of her in that way, what was to say that he wouldn't start thinking of her in other ways, ways that he considered disgusting and undisciplined? And what if that would eventually soften him to the point that he would act upon those thoughts? It would be most wrong of him of anyone else on Earth to take advantage of her like that. It would be wrong for him to take advantage of any woman.
Sarik snapped out of his thoughts as the host indicated to him that they had arrived at the appropriate table. It was the one he had actually reserved, outside on the restaurant's stone beach-side patio. Coming here during mid-day seemed to have its perks. He would have to do it more often.
After the host placed a two sets of silverware and a corresponding set of menus, he left the apparent couple to their own machinations. Sarik, remembering the courtesies that his parents had drilled so well into him, slid one of the small table's well-crafted chairs out for Stella. She did not seem to understand, so he carefully broke away from her grasp and gestured. Once she was situated, Sarik took the chair across from her.
After taking a couple minutes to survey the area for any threats, Sarik lifted his menu and began skimming through its pages. He had no idea what he wanted, and was tempted to order a half dozen dishes just to sample them. He set the menu down and sighed in frustration after a few pointless minutes of indecisiveness.
It was then that Stella caught his attention. He was dazzled by her simple beauty, how the light was hitting her skin and hair just right in the midday sun, how well her dress complimented her eyes...
Sarik snapped out of his unguarded thoughts. Her dress? Why the hell was he looking there?
As he brought his mental defenses back up, Sarik noticed that Stella was examining her menu like it was something that could blow up in her face, taking time to scan every square centimeter of the material. She seemed to take a notice of the pictures and descriptions on the various pages, but her facial expressions indicated that she had no idea of what their intended function was.
"Do you see anything you would like to eat?" Sarik asked softly, a little emotion flowing into his voice unintentionally.
She glanced up at him for a few seconds, then returned to examining the menu, though this time, it seemed she was actually trying to decide on one of the meals. It seemed she picked up on hints well, at least. So even if she didn't know what was wrong, she could tell when something was wrong...
Sarik shook his head lightly as he folded his arms and stared out at the ocean. Had her overlords truly isolated her that much from the world? Obviously, she had seen a town before, and knew somewhat how to act properly in public, but she was still so ignorant that a common menu was alien to her. Either that, or her benefactors never gave her a choice in her meals. If William had anything to do with her life, that might be a possibility.
Sarik picked up his menu and returned to selecting a meal. It was driving him crazy. What did he want? There were so many things on the menu, and he didn't have a craving for any particular one. He was simply hungry.
He had narrowed his choices down to about five different meals when a waiter arrived, asking for his choice in beverage.
"Water with lemon," Sarik answered after a moment's contemplation. Something sour didn't sound all that bad right now. It certainly described his mood.
"And you, Miss?" the waiter asked, turning his attention to Stella.
She looked up from her menu at Sarik, a questioning look on her face. Either she didn't know what he meant, or she didn't know what was appropriate for the occasion.
"She'll take a water," Sarik answered for her.
"And are you prepared to order, sir?" the waiter asked as he jotted down Sarik's and Stella's orders.
"I think we'll need a few more moments," Sarik courtesied.
"Very well," the waiter complied. "We'll have your drinks prepared immediately."
As the man left, Sarik shook his head internally. It was just a couple glasses of water. It wasn't like he'd ordered some expensive mixture of alcohol. Why the need for the drama?
Sarik stared out at the ocean for a moment as he thought. This day was probably going to be last time he'd get a chance to relax for a while. The way things were going, all-out war on the Earth was a possible reality, and SSI, along with every other major conglomerate on the planet, would be effected.
Sarik snapped out of his thoughts as the waiter set a glass before him, filled to the brim with water and lemon slices. Sarik reached over and took a sip, cringing slightly at the taste. This particular piece of fruit was exceptionally sour.
"Are you ready to order?" the waiter inquired after placng Stella's beverage before her.
Sarik thought for a few seconds. He might as well just order something.
"I'll take the seasoned salmon steak on a bed of wild rice," Sarik answered before he could change his mind. Something he knew he would eat.
The man jotted down his order.
"And you, ma'am?" he asked, turning to Stella.
She pursed her lips in concentration, then pointed at something on the menu. The waiter had to lean over in order to see what she was gesturing at.
"Very well," he complied, writing the order down on his pad. "We'll have your luncheon out as soon as it's ready."
As the man gathered up the menus, Stella turned her attention out towards the ocean. Sarik noticed that a faint smile slowly formed on her face as the minutes passed.
"What are you thinking about?" Sarik asked with interest.
"It's...beautiful," Stella remarked, still staring out at the ocean.
Sarik looked off in the direction that she was staring at, trying to figure out what she was talking about. There was nothing there except the ocean.
"The ocean?" he questioned.
Stella didn't seem to hear him, transfixed by what she saw.
Sarik smirked as he watched with her, having nothing better to do. It truly was amazing, now that he thought about it. The way the waves made their way to the beach, calmly lapping at its edges. The way the light shone off of the surface, bombarding his vision with varying shades of blue and gray. And most of all, the awe that struck him as he looked towards the horizon, the deep waters seeming to go on forever.
Perhaps this was also what she saw. Perhaps this was why the ocean hypnotized Stella so much.
After a few moments, Sarik decided to break away from the trance. As peaceful as it was, he wanted to learn more about Stella. By understanding her better, he would not only be making progress to restoring their relationship, but he might have a better understanding of how the Earth Forces raised and treated their Extendeds once they drafted them into the military.
"So, is there anything that you enjoy doing?" Sarik questioned abruptly.
Stella continued to stare out at the ocean, her concentration unbroken.
"Stella," Sarik said with some force.
She snapped back to reality, turning her head to face him.
"Is there anything that you enjoy doing?" he repeated, using the same tone as he had the first time.
Stella stared at him for a moment, as if she didn't quite understand the question.
"Fighting?" she replied quietly a moment later, as if unsure it was the right answer.
Sarik rested his head in the palm of his hand, his arm leaning against the table. That was not the answer he was looking for, but he would work with it nonetheless.
"Fighting, huh?" he remarked. "What part about it?"
Stella glanced down at the table for a few seconds, then returned to watching the ocean. Either she was avoiding the question, or she truly didn't have a more detailed answer.
Sarik sighed out loud as he thought, catching Stella's attention. He had hoped to keep her away from war, to shelter her from what she had already been exposed to. But apparently, her masters had ingrained war into her very being. What did she do for pastime? Fly combat scenarios in a flight simulator? What kind of education did she receive? Obviously, an understanding of complicated mathematics was needed in order to fly a mobile weapon, or modify an OS, or to repair a damaged machine.
What was she now? Part of him wanted to think she was still that loyal friend from eleven years ago, but he knew that couldn't be. She might have some shred of kindness from that time left in her, she might look just as innocent, but if she was truly the former pilot of the Destroy, then underneath all of that there was a merciless soldier. And he wondered if while he attempted to reason with it, whether or not she would snap and turn on him.
As he brooded, Sarik realized Stella was watching him intently. She was obviously wondering about something, but her lack of words made it hard to understand about what. She was obviously still a quiet person.
"What?" Sarik asked as he snapped out of his thoughts, peering up with his eyes.
Stella looked like she was about to say something, but held her tongue and snapped her head back towards the ocean.
Sarik sighed internally. He wondered if she was this shy with everyone, or just people that she didn't quite yet trust. It was most definitely going to be a barrier.
As he thought, Sarik realized that there was one question in the back of his mind nagging at him. Was Stella conscious of the things that she did? Was it like when they had first started, where it seemed as if an entirely different being inhabited their bodies? Or was she like he was now, every one of his actions a deliberate and conscious decision?
"Do you remember what happened a few days ago?" Sarik questioned Stella softly, sitting up in his chair.
Her gaze retreated from the ocean, settling on the portion of the table directly in front of her.
"You...helped me," Stella told him, her eyes tensing as she remembered.
Sarik stared at her, hoping she would make eye contact. He needed to know the truth in her words.
"Do you remember anything in detail?" Sarik asked.
Over the next ten minutes, Stella recounted everything the best she could, all in relatively few words. Sarik took note that there seemed to be gaps in her memory. It wasn't that she didn't remember the entire incident, just that parts of it seemed to slip her mind, as if it were something insignificant. The fights to her were like remembering what meals one ate a few days earlier.
"Do you know what you are doing whenever you fight?" Sarik asked her after ensuring no one was around to eavesdrop.
"Completing my mission," Stella responded.
"Do you know what happens to those people that you hurt?" Sarik questioned coldly.
Stella simply looked up at him with a confused stare.
So that was it. That's how they did it. They conditioned these Extendeds to the point that they didn't have a clue what they were doing. Killing was a day job, something casual.
"Every time you kill a person, Stella, they die," Sarik told her calmly. "Don't you realize that?"
He didn't have to wait long before he got a reaction totally unexpected.
Stella's eyes went wide, and she began forcing herself backwards into her chair, as if trying to get as far away from Sarik as she could. She began mumbling a series of unintelligible words until Sarik managed to make some of them out.
"I don't want to die!" Stella yelled, her calm breaking.
Sarik jumped out of his seat, quickly surveying his surroundings. There was no one nearby.
"Stella, what's wrong?" he asked. Why was she acting like this?
She continued her fit, pushing into the chair so hard that the underside of her arms became raw and started to bleed.
"What's wrong Stella?!" Sarik questioned with a raised voice as he ran around towards her.
"I don't want to die!" she said, flailing out at him, trying to force him away.
This couldn't go on any longer. Someone would notice.
"No one is going to die!" Sarik yelled at her, grabbing her hands. But she continued to flail, trying to get away from him. However, he noticed her flailing was not nearly as strong as it should be. As if her ability to fight was suppressed. A block word?! He'd fought her in hand-to-hand combat, and knew her strength and tenacity. Only a block word could restrain her like this, and this quickly.
But he had yet to encounter an Extended with one. Was she that much of a threat? That powerful when in her prime?
"Stella, clam down," Sarik told her soothingly as he pulled her into a hug, despite the fact she was still trying to resist him. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I scared you. Please calm down."
Sarik noticed that she began to calm, and she eventually collapsed into him and started crying. Sarik held her for a moment while he decided what to do. That was stupid of him. This entire trip was stupid of him.
"Come on," he told Stella, putting one of his arms protectively around her shoulders. "Let's go home."
* * *
Amelia watched from her perch as the car Sarik had borrowed from one of the security teams pulled into the parking garage. She took special notice of the girl, who was leaning into his side like he was her lover or husband.
Amelia felt a twinge of jealousy flow through her as he lifted the small girl out of the car and held her close as they walked into the facility.
"If I had a sister, I would hope she was Stella," Sarik had remarked.
Amelia allowed rage to flow through her as she thought on those words. That was a load of shit. This wasn't how you treated a sibling, the only thing between your bodies a thin set of clothing.
What is wrong with me? Amelia wondered. She was the same age as that girl, she had known Sarik for many more years, and for a brief time, he used the words "I love you" with her. Then, something happened, and he only wanted to be friends from then on. Had he known about this girl, somehow? Was he willing to throw away years of friendship for her?
Amelia felt a small tear slither down her face. She wiped it away, then left her hiding place. There were things that needed to be done, and they wouldn't happen if she stood there brooding all day.