Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ 1 Blood on the Window ❯ The 3/4 Hat ( Chapter 35 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

I laughed as Duo did a half-assed dance to show me something Jacob had done to him earlier in the day. We'd had a quiet week, and Jacob provided us all with endless entertainment.

"Just a second," I muttered as my phone started vibrating at my hip, "Let me get this." I added as Duo muted the stereo and sat back on my bed, kicking his feet.

Relena had gone to the store with Hilde and the girls. Kayla was at Duo's apartment.

"Hello?"

"Assassin?"

"Of course."

"I have a job for you."

"I'm listening."

"Kayla Green."

In an instant, my mind clicked on the fact that this was Donovan Charles, "I will rip your balls off if you so much as touch her." I said, rising to my feet.

Duo was staring at me.

"I'll double your price…triple it."

"You're dead." I snapped at him, starting for the door.

Duo was on my heels as we pounded down the stairs and Donovan laughed, hanging up his phone.

"He wouldn't dare!" Duo was muttering repeatedly as we threw ourselves into my car, "How would he know where I lived?"

"He doesn't concern himself with you," I muttered, a dreadful acid feeling building up in my stomach, "It's her."

"Why would he kill her?"

"Why does Jun want Fei dead?" I replied, tearing off down the street, ignoring street signs. "He wouldn't have hung up if he didn't have someone on her." I added, praying that Ace would not find Duo's apartment so quickly. There were many of them in the area of Jaded, nondescript sets of apartments for the rich…Ace could not have gotten there before us.

.

Ace moved silently up the stairs of the lavish apartment, watching the numbers on the doors he passed until he reached nearly the end of the hall. He didn't bother knocking on the door, he just shoved it open, focusing on the auburn haired woman working out in front of the sliding-glass windows.

Her hazel eyes widened in fear and confusion as she straightened, "Who…"

"Kayla Green?" Ace asked evenly, feeling something poke at his consciousness. There was a familiar scent to the entire apartment, but he couldn't place it.

"I am," she muttered, her hand reaching for the cordless phone at her feet.

"I'm sorry." he stated…and shot her.

The hazel eyes widened a moment and Ace paused, realizing something.

The picture of five guys sitting on one counter…was the Cheshire Cat, the assassin…and Chang Wufei.

He picked it up as the girl writhed on the floor, gasping in shock.

"Holy shit," he breathed, seeing the picture next to it. It was the Cheshire Cat himself with his arms around Miss Green, both smiling at the camera.

Ace lost his breath, looking around the room-the wicked knife that the assassin had taken from the cat to use on him…another picture of the assassin staring into the camera with an evil expression…

"Oh fuck…" Ace realized very suddenly why he'd been given so much for this kill.

His life was forfeit.

.

My heart was numb, my emotions were numb…all I knew was a dreadful fear-and the car peeling off down the road did not help the situation. Heero didn't bother getting out of his car. He took off after the other vehicle as I ran up the stairs.

"Our father who art in heaven," I panted hoarsely as I ran up the stairs, "Hallow be thy name…" please, please, please let her be alive!

The front door to my apartment was open as I barreled through the door…and saw Kayla, lying on the floor.

"Jesus!"

There was blood everywhere…blood on the carpet, blood on the walls…blood on the window…

I lifted the phone to my ear, seeing it was already on, "Kayla?" I asked desperately, relief flooding through me as her hazel eyes opened and she met my eyes.

"Is there an emer…"

"I need an ambulance immediately." I said, controlling my voice, giving my address, "My fiancé's been shot!"

"Duo?" Kayla panted at me.

"Everything's fine, all right, angel? Everything will be fine…okay?"

She nodded, studying my eyes as I laced my fingers in hers.

Everything would be fine.

It had to be.

The time between finding her and us moving into the ambulance was a blur; she kept repeating that she loved me. She told me that if she died she wanted me to love again when I could…the doctors were asking me about her allergies…about something else…she was telling me she loved me again…

"You have to wait out here, Sir." a nurse muttered suddenly, grabbing me by the arm, "You can wait in this waiting room…"

"I love you." Kayla whispered again.

"You have to make it out of this." I muttered to her, kissing her, tasting salt tears, uncertain who'd shed them, "All right? We can get married when you're better, all right?"

"Can I wear white?" she asked, smiling slightly.

"What other color would you wear?"

She smiled again and I kissed her once more…just…

I watched the doctors roll her away and focused on the nurse who was talking to me again. I couldn't understand what she was saying…

.

Duo was crying silently when I moved into the waiting room. It had taken me time to convince these people that I would be welcome. He met my eyes, his own uncomprehending.

"Oh Jesus," I muttered, moving forward to pull him into a hug, "Heero called us…told us…"

"Is it all right?" the nurse asked him.

"It's…fine…everything…is fine…" Duo sounded shell-shocked.

I focused on the nurse, "There will be six or more people here eventually," I informed her, "Show them to us immediately."

She nodded, evidently noting the tone of authority.

"Everything is fine, right?" Duo asked me, his eyes focusing on mine suddenly.

"I don't know, Duo," I muttered, grasping his hand and raising it to my lips, "I can't tell you that…"

"Fei," he said, his voice thickening, "Everything has to be fine…"

I shook my head at him, not sure what to say as I pulled him into another hug.

He started crying.

.

Duo was sobbing into Wufei's shoulder when I finally made it to the room. Hilde was holding Alex behind me, and I could tell that my daughter was scared.

"What's going on?" I demanded of Wufei, touching Duo's shoulder so he'd come to me and relieve Wufei.

"I don't know." Wufei admitted, "I don't think he understands anything that's being said to him…and the doctors haven't come in since I got here."

I nodded, holding Duo tightly. I couldn't believe how weak he felt.

"Oh god, Duo…" Hilde muttered, starting to sob herself and setting Alex down.

Wufei moved instantly to my little girl, lifting her into his arms and muttering in her ear. I couldn't tell what he was saying over Duo's helpless sobbing…

"Quatre was just behind me," Miguel said suddenly, breaking into the room and looking around before moving instantly to Wufei, "He'll be here in a minute."

"Where's Heero?" Duo croaked suddenly, pulling away from me and seeming to pull himself together, "He left me at my apartment."

"He said he was chasing the lunatic," I replied, studying Duo carefully, "God, Duo…what's going on?"

"Donovan had Kayla shot," Duo breathed, his eyes going distant again, "I found her in my apartment…there was blood…everywhere…" he looked down at himself and I suddenly realized that he also had blood on him, "I was…holding her…" he said distantly, meeting my eyes again.

"Everything will be fine." I said firmly.

"It has to be." he whispered, dropping onto the couch and rocking slightly.

"Tio?" Alex muttered, squirming from Wufei's grasp and crawling onto Duo's lap before I could say or do anything, "Tio?" she asked, cupping his face in her two small hands, "Don't cry, Tio…"

And Duo was sobbing again.

.

I emptied the contents of my stomach into a trashcan as several nurses watched me, one man coming closer to me. I gestured him off, wiping my mouth and focusing on Jacob again, avoiding Marlea's scared eyes. My friend was deathly pale as he stood in the door to a waiting room, looking from the people inside to me.

"Are you with Mr. Maxwell?" a doctor asked suddenly, coming up behind me and touching my arm.

"I am." I muttered, spitting a last time before allowing her to lead me into the room.

Everyone was silent as they watched the woman.

"She's stabilizing, Mr. Maxwell," she muttered, focusing on Duo, "She's not out of danger yet, but she's a bit better."

Duo nodded, looking slightly wild-eyed.

"What happened?" the woman asked, looking slightly relieved, "Please, Duo…"

"She was shot," Duo breathed, focusing on her with that vacant expression again.

"We know that, but…by who?"

"The lunatic," Duo said, still blank.

The woman looked concerned, looking to the rest of us.

"There are three known assassins in this city," Trowa spoke up, his tone confident, "The assassin, the Cheshire Cat, and the Lunatic."

The woman focused on him.

"I can tell by your expression that you were aware of this."

"Who…hired…" she started.

"Donovan Charles," Duo's voice dripped hatred, "Gray Day."

The woman looked away from all of us, then nodded, starting for the door, "We'll let you know if anything else happens…if we can stabilize her we'll send someone for you immediately."

Duo nodded, still unfocused.

The woman left.

I moved up to him, hugging him roughly, "Everything…"

"Has to be fine." his voice lacked conviction.

Trowa shook his head at me.

"Wufei?" Duo's eyes instantly sought out the guy's face, "I'm thirsty."

Wufei nodded, meeting my eyes a moment-his own looked haunted and I could tell that Duo's state scared him just as much as it did us.

"Where's Heero?" Duo demanded of me.

"He was chasing Ace," I said quietly as Jacob moved to sit in a chair near the corner of the room, "He called and said he'd lost him, though…he's getting Relena."

Marlea squirmed from Jacob's grasp, crossing the room to stand in front of Duo. She, like myself, could feel something…the very air was laden with it. I couldn't tell what it was, but that had been what caused me to puke.

"Uncle?" she asked, waiting until he met her eyes, "Be okay?" she asked him.

"Maybe." Duo replied, losing his focus.

"Just breath, okay?" she asked, "Daddy always says to just breath…"

.

Heero's face was angrier than I'd ever seen him as he led us firmly into the hospital. A woman spotted us and stared a moment before gesturing for us to follow her. She led us silently down a series of halls before stopping outside a room and indicating it.

I was personally scared. I'd never seen Heero this angry, and the fact that the car was now severely scraped said that the chase he'd been on had gotten dangerous.

"If she dies," he breathed, though he didn't finish the statement, moving into the room.

Wufei was sitting with Miguel next to Duo as Duo drank from a can. He looked severely worried. Both Alex and Lea were sitting in the back corner of the room, playing with the toys. Jacob was sitting with Quatre near them on a love seat, and Trowa was on Duo's other side, Hilde beyond him.

When Duo met Heero's eyes, the hopelessness in them made me want to cry.

Heero moved instantly to kneel in front of the guy, muttering to him in Japanese. His voice was for Duo's ears only. Duo was completely focused on him.

I moved to sit between Wufei and Miguel.

.

The night was interminably long. Duo didn't seem to notice from one minute to the next that time had passed, and when Lea started to fall asleep, Quatre made the difficult decision that he needed to go home. Trowa agreed and Relena suggested that everyone go to our house so we could all be found if…anything happened.

As the night passed, everyone left but Wufei and I, keeping a silent vigil on Duo. His distant eyes spoke volumes to both of us, and we knew that if Kayla did die-the reports weren't getting any brighter, that we'd need to be here, probably both of us, to subdue him.

That was the issue with Duo and that insanity I generally found so fun. I'd never wanted to see him snap.

"I…can't…stay awake…" Wufei muttered suddenly, focusing on me.

"Go home, Wufei." Duo said calmly, "You too, Heero. I'm fine by myself." he thought a moment, "Has anyone called her parents?"

"I did hours ago." I returned, "They're working on getting here."

He nodded, losing focus again.

"I can't handle him alone," I said urgently to Wufei, "If she goes…if…"

Wufei was finding it difficult to keep his eyes open, he shook his head, "I'd be of no help to you…I haven't slept in two days…" he lifted one hand, which was shaking. He shook his head, "I'll get Trowa or Quatre back here, all right?"

"Good night, Fei." Duo said suddenly, leaning over and hugging him, "I'll get ahold of you in the morning, all right?"

We both studied Duo, wondering what of our conversation he was hearing.

"Night." Wufei returned, rising slowly to his feet and tottering slightly, "I love you."

"Love you, too," Duo muttered, focusing on me.

"You can't even drive," I snapped at Wufei.

"So take him." Duo muttered, brushing the air at me and shaking his head.

I studied Duo a moment, then followed Wufei into the hall, spotting a doctor who was coming toward us in a business-like fashion, "Any news?" I asked before he could enter the room.

"None." he replied, "She's nearly stable, we have people on her."

"Ten minutes?" I asked.

He thought a moment, then nodded, "At the very least. I imagine if she goes it will be tomorrow morning some time."

"I'm going to take him home." I said, indicating Wufei, "I'll be back shortly."

"All right." he acceded, moving into the room to give Duo the news.

.

I couldn't say how long Heero'd been gone when they gave me the news-a sudden change…and it wasn't until I felt a sharp pinch in the back of my neck that I realized why the air was different. The windows were shattered…the room was destroyed…I sank slowly to my knees, a dreadful pain welling up in my stomach…

She was gone.

Kayla had died.

The lights were bright…extremely bright…and they kept flashing…

"The poor dear," a woman whispered from somewhere nearby, "They were going to get married…"

"That's terrible," a male voice muttered, "I hear it was a syndicate thing."

"He doesn't look like a gang member."

"Did you see what he did to the waiting room?"

"Burn in hell." I muttered, not understanding quite why I was so angry.

"Oh shit," the woman breathed.

"Don't…" I started, then felt another pinch…

Heero was studying my face, his own completely serious, "Are you awake?" his voice seemed to be coming out of nowhere.

"Where's Kayla?" I demanded, sitting bolt upright…nearly. I pulled at my arms, not understanding why I couldn't move…

"Duo," Heero muttered, tears spilling onto his cheeks.

I stared at him, shaking my head, "No. No. I don't believe it."

"Just lie still." he muttered, running his hands over the sides of my face, "Just relax, all right? If you get violent again they'll have to sedate you again."

"Heero," I muttered, "She can't be dead…she can't…"

"She's gone, Duo." he said, his voice filled with all sorts of pain, "There's nothing we can do until you're out of here…and they won't let you go until you show some sanity."

I started sobbing and he leaned down to hug me. He was crying too…he was…

She was gone.

I focused on the ceiling suddenly, a terrible realization ripping through me.

The lord hadn't saved her.

Heero was sobbing.




E/N: *tilts her head* one more time around before we reach the end.