Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Somewhere in Between ❯ Wait and See ( Chapter 3 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! This is also a very long chapter.
Confusion: I you are confused as to the timeline of events in this fic, please look at the explanation/timeline attached (last chapter
Disclaimer: I own none of the Gundam Wing characters or any information from the show used in this fic. The ideas though are my own.
This is an HY/RP story.
Please review!
Enjoy!

Somewhere in Between
~Phoenixstar

Wait and See

~~~


She walked solemnly; head down turned, the sound of her shoes clicking against the cool marble floors echoing along the empty hallway. She didn't count the doors she passed, or listen to the occasional fuzzy call of the loudspeakers overhead. Her mind kept turning back to the Polaroid's tucked safely away in her bag.
'Maybe I should have left them with Wufei.' She shook her head. 'No, he'll have en eye-full enough when he gets there.' Yet she still silently tried to think of ways to rid herself of the things. They had caused her to have a restless night. She had gone home after the meeting, sure that Wufei would be able to handle things around there and she was pretty sure no one would have missed her. Besides she was sure that she could use the break. Of course, a break was the last thing she got. The silence and lack of work to do gave her time to think, and that was the last thing she needed. 'Who? Why? How?' The questions kept flowing over and over. Even when she tried to go to sleep her mind was restless, and so her sleep was broken and little. She had finally resorted to sleeping pills to aid her, and now rubbing her tired eyes she briefly regretted the decision.
"Opps, look I'm sorry," a strong compact figure bumped into her throwing her off her balance. From her spot on the floor she squinted up, but his face was invisible under a hat and was heavily shadowed with the fluorescent lighting coming down from overhead. He thrust a hand in her face and roughly pulled her to her feet. He looked down at her feet and picked up her bag and handed it to her. Seeing the pictures that had fallen out he reached down taking them into his hands and giving them a quick scan over. Suddenly he stiffened before shoving them back into her hands before taking off down the hall, disappearing around the corner.
Sally shook her head; she was dazed from her fall and was confused about what had just happened. She looked down at the pictures in her hands and shrugged. 'These pictures aren't near as graphic as the ones they showed in the news.' Shoving them in back in her bag she continued on her way.
When she reached the desk at the end of the hall her nerves were frayed.
"Can I help you?"
"Huh?" she looked at the small woman's face. 'I must have gotten a lot less sleep than I thought.'
"Miss, what can I help you with."
"I'm here for Relena Peacecraft."
"I think you must be here for Relena Dorlian"
"Dorlian?" 'I wonder why she's registered under her adoptive name?'
"Yes, well there is no one by the name of Peacecraft registered here and, well there have been many people in here, inquiring after a Relena Dorlian, so I assumed you must be looking for the same person."
Sally flashed her a smile, "Silly me, yes, I'm here after Miss Dorlian."
The lady pushed a clipboard across at her. "Just sign your name and details there," she pointed to a space at the bottom. "And when you are done I'll take you in to talk with the Doctor." She nodded, taking the clipboard back to a seat with her. Scanning over the names on the list she saw some of the governments' and preventers' doctors, Heero and Duo, Noin, and Duo again? She scanned the dates only to find Duo had been there already today. 'Wonder what he was doing back here?' Making a mental note to tell Wufei about it later she finished filling in her data, which she took back to the clerk who showed her into the back where she could do her examination.


~~~


'Phew. That was a close one,' Duo sighed with relief. He had not expected to see Sally there, and that was one close call to being 'discovered'. Even though there was no rule against him being there, what he was doing just felt wrong, very wrong, and the fewer people who knew about it the better. And Sally and Wufei were two people he'd feel better knowing they didn't know. For all he could guess they would take the matter to Lady Une, or even worse, to Heero himself.
He shook his head in confusion. After all he was doing this for Heero, just he didn't want him knowing just yet. No he'd have to wait and only time would tell.
When he had the proof, then he'd show Heero once and for all.


~~~


Zechs watched his sister sit anxiously by the phone. She'd been sitting there for some time. He watched as every time the phone wrung she would leap for it, sometimes bumping her knee on the table or knocking the whole phone set clear off the table. He knew she'd already broken two glasses and one picture frame, and if she kept this up he didn't have any idea, nor did he want to know what she would end up breaking next.
"Relena?" She didn't turn, just sat perched on the edge of the couch, close to falling off. It surprised Zechs that with her hearing, obviously so sharp and attuned to be able to pick up the phone before it bad completed one full ring, she couldn't hear him. "Relena?" he tried again. When she remained unresponsive he tried yet again, moving in front of her and having his arm in front of him. "Relena?"
"Huh?" she said, her head snapping up to meet his worried gaze.
"What's got you all uptight?"
"Oh nothing really," she replied softly, her eyes falling back to the phone.
"Well, you've been sitting in front of that phone, looking like your nerves are completely shot for almost 2 hours now, and I don't think you can get mad at me for caring enough to ask what's the matter."
"Oh nothings wrong," she murmured. Sensing she wasn't giving him her full attention he picked up the phone and moved it to the table behind him where she could neither see it nor reach it without being intercepted. "It's nothing," she repeated the annoyance and irritation clear in her voice.
"Relena, you're tired and jumpy. Do us, and yourself a favour and at least get some rest." Motioning with her hand from him to move out of the way, she replied,
"I will Zechs, I will, just a little later okay?" He growled and pointed towards the guest room where she was staying. "Fine fine." She grumbled, audibly voicing her frustration. "Happy now?" she shook her head and turned to leave the room. Under her breath, Zechs struggled to make out what she was saying. "I wonder why he didn't pick up the phone. He should have gotten my messages by now."
Zechs shrugged his shoulders and watched as she disappeared, mumbling, into the hall. He turned around to look down at the bothersome phone, something which his opinion had just proved to have way too much control over his sister; that, or the person who was supposed to be on the other end. Suddenly the phone set rang in his hands causing him to jump just a little. Hesitantly he picked up the receiver. It wasn't always wise for a 'dead' man to answer the phone, then again knowing that the only people who knew that number were people he and Noin trusted made him a little more at ease.
"Hello?" he said, trying to disguise his voice just a little.
"Relena, is she there?" Zechs knew that voice anywhere and was about to growl and start going after Heero but the phone was snatched out of his hands by an over enthusiastic Relena who had come stampeding back into the room when she heard it ring. Zechs stood dazed, while Relena's face lit up when she realised it was him on the phone.
"Oh Heero," she started but then remember that Zechs was still in the room stopped. She put her hand over the receiver and mouthed for him to politely 'get lost.' Zechs shrugged his shoulders, still a little overwhelmed by the situation and equally cautious of the fact his sister was on the phone with Heero, and left the room, pausing at the door to try and listen to just a bit of the conversation.
"Oh Heero, I miss you so much too."
He had heard enough.


~~~


As much as Wufei wanted to go and have a word with the captured bomber, he knew that the best course off action was to have some proof to approach the guy with, and seeing as Sally had taken the pictures with her, and he had said he would check their suspicions first, he would just have to go to the scene.
It wasn't until he was sitting behind the wheel of his car, speeding down the streets that her realised how tired and stressed he really was. Having to screech on the breaks to avoid hitting a pedestrian he briefly considered stopping, and finding a alternative method of getting there since he was proving to be such a potential threat, yet the sooner he was there and gone, the sooner he'd be able to get some things off his mind, and today time seemed to be of the essence.


He stepped away from the grumbling officers behind him. For once it was not advantageous to belong to an agency that held its security and privacy so dearly. It took a hell of a lot of patience and self-restraint to keep from just taking out his aggression on the stubborn and overly suspicious security guard, and it took even more persuasiveness and patience to convince him that he was indeed there for the protection and punishment for the crimes committed against the former minister.
'I'll deal with Zechs later,' he noted, remembering how the guard had let it slip that the elder Peacecraft was the one responsible for the high security around the place. Although it seemed suspicious that it was Zechs and not the Preventers who was providing the guards, it could always be put down to Zechs obligation to his sister's privacy and protection, even after she was gone. 'Gesh,' he though shaking his head again, 'It must be hard on him with all the news people wanting pictures and more information on how she went and who done it.' Yet somehow the fact that the man, supposedly dead in the public eye, was the one overseeing the control and indirectly the investigation troubled him. As much as he might want to get to the cause of the matter this was not the place to be dreaming up conspiracy theories.
Stepping across the police line he moved into he building, eyes narrowed searching for the area Sally had photographed. Spotting it he moved over towards it, having to make several detours around various roped off scenes and chunks of debris. Reaching it, being careful not to disturb anything he looked around, taking note of everything. Much to his interest, everything seemed to fit his and Sally's assumptions. It was convenient, if not suspicious, yet he'd have to wait till later until he made conclusions.
'Now from what Lady Une said yesterday,' he said moving back, 'if the bomb was over here, then Relena was supposedly standing right about,' he stepped a couple paces to the back and left, 'here.' The idea alone, without the sight of dried blood on the carpets, was hard to handle, but this, well it was almost overwhelming. Wufei could feel his pulse quicken and his shirt feel tighter. He was about to storm away when he saw something lying on the ground, partially hidden by an overturned desk. Picking it up his brows furrowed as he examined it. Unnoticed he slipped it in his pocket and headed back to his car. There were some answers he needed and soon!


~~~


"Heero, I know you're in there." He tried knocking again. "You'd better open up before I gotta break this thing down," with a sigh he continued, "and you know I will."
Silence.
"Damnit Heero. I know you're in there, so either you be nice and open the door for me, or else I'll just do it myself." Realising this approach was not working. "You've got, five, four three, two…"
"Shut up Duo!" came the muffled and irritated voice.
"I knew you were in there." With the lack of response he started again, "So you going to let me in or not?"
"Maybe."
"Maybe? Come on Heero. What kind of answer is that? I though we were best friends and all?"
Silence.
"Heero, this is stupid you know that. Me along with everyone else back at work, and everyone who cares for you am really starting to worry. And here I come, trying to get something from you other than projectiles hurling past my face, and you make me stand here in the hall and talk to you through the door. This is ridiculous. If you want the rest of the people in the building to hear me yell at you about your personal life then that fine, because I am going to stay right here yell at you for as long as it takes for you to talk to me." Duo was about to start pounding on the door in addition to screaming through it when the door opened a crack. Instantly shutting his mouth he took this as a hint to come inside.
Stepping in he found he had to squint his eyes against the darkness of the rooms. He heard someone moving around, most likely Heero, in one of the back rooms, and so he followed his ears. Walking along the hall, periodically looking in on the adjoining rooms, he marvelled at the fact that even though he had moved out of the apartment he and Relena had shared, that this one was set up exactly the same. The only noticeable difference was that her mess was not spread out everywhere, proof enough that she was not a resident in the tiny flat.
"Heero?" he asked tentatively. He was rewarded with a small grunt, and so gathering up more courage, he walked into the last room along the hall. There were no lights on in the room, yet the natural light sneaking in between the closed blinds lit the room well enough to see. Heero was moving around the bed, pulling some items of clothing and the likes out of drawers or the closet and placing them in neat piles on the bed. Duo watched with fascination, the he decided to speak up.
"Hey, thanks for letting me in after all."
"Hn."
"Well anyways I guess you know why I'm here by now."
Silence.
"Heero, what on earth is going on with you? You've got Lady worried and threatening to suspend you for a while, me ready to strangle you for your stupid stubbornness and everyone else worried sick about your behaviour. We all agree it isn't right the way you are handling this."
More silence.
"Heero," his voice dropped dangerously low, "You'd better start telling me what's on your mind." This seemed to hit a nerve in Heero as his back tensed and he turned, keeping his head down. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but then closed it again quickly.
"I wondered what it would be like when lies didn't work anymore; so curious. Then one day her lies didn't work; as transparent as glass… so transparent." He looked up, his eyes filled with an unspeakable longing and sadness. Duo froze; he had underestimated Heero.
"I did it for… For her," he laughed and then stopped abruptly. "Always for her. Anything for her." He said the last bit quietly, as if surprised at saying the words, as though it were the first time he had thought them. He turned a little, looking Duo directly in the eyes, but for some reason it caused a flash of pain across his face, barely recognisable before it was gone, and he turned away. He moved back to rearranging the items on the bed, systematically taking one and placing it gingerly in the suitcase. Duo continued to watch, helplessly.
"Yes," he continued, still talking in a hushed voice as if the words were weren't meant for anyone but himself to hear, making Duo cringe, feeling very much an intruder. Then, obviously having mastered his composure he glared right at Duo. "Lies."
Duo felt his pulse quicken as the reason for his 'visit' came flooding back to him. He opened his mouth to speak, to yell, to scold Heero for his foolish behaviour, but he was cut off,
"I really believed all the things I told her…" he paused, "It's just that none of them were true."
"We know you loved her," Duo looked worriedly at his friend. Heero looked, stunned and confused, as if Duo had just questioned whether gravity was will in effect with his feet planted firmly on the floor.
"Love," Heero whispered to himself before violently zipping shut the suitcase. Picking it up he walked over to the doorway of the room. "Time's up Duo. I'm leaving."
"Come on Heero, what are you trying to prove by doing this huh? I told you…"
"Yeah I know your lies," he spat back. "I'll call sometime and let you know what I… Find."
"Heero!" but Heero was already in the hall moving towards the front door. He opened it and put his bag down, motioning to Duo to leave. When out in the hall he followed, turning and locking to the door behind him. He, just for a second rested his forehead against the door as if caught between indecision and regret. Then he turned and walked off, leaving Duo to follow him.


~~~


She came bounding down the stairs from the plane. The happiest of smiles plastered across her face. She was the picture of beauty; even the long flight could not keep her from beaming the way she did now. With a bag flung over her one shoulder she ran down the stairs, using her other hand to shield her eyes against the glaring sun. Reaching the bottom she looked around, hair whipping in her face with the combination of the wind and her movements.
Her eyes darted among the faces looking for him, but every time she looked there seemed to be more and more people, and suddenly she was swallowed up in the tide of people surging towards their loved ones.
"Heero?" she whispered, wishing more than anything that he was here. Even though she knew she was safe, she didn't feel secure and well until he was there to protect her. She started getting desperate, turning her head frantically this way and that. Every time she was sure she saw his face or got a glimpse or dark brown hair she lit up, but when she tried to find him again him was gone.
"Heero? Where are you Heero?" Her cries were lost in the crowd as she, shaken and lonely pushed her way towards the doors.
Alone


~~~


Wufei nodded to the officers at the entrance as he passed them. He had thought it would have been far more difficult to have access of the prisoner than he did and was about to complain about lax security when he had been informed that Lady Une had called ahead to say that he would be there and was to be allowed to interrogate the captive. He checked his identification, pinned, clearly visible to his shirt. Feeling humiliated by the process he mentally swore to bring up the whole preventer identification issue with Lady Une later.
The cell itself was well out of the way from any of the others, then again they very rarely held people here, and as far as he was aware, this was the only person currently in custody. Stopped by some more guards at the door he growled under his breath, trying hard to keep his temper in check. He was handed a clipboard, and he noted giving it a scan over, that it was a list of the 'visitors' the prisoner had had.
'…' he skipped through the officials and regular police detectives, 'Zechs; not surprising, and Duo?' He blinked at the sheet making a mental note to ask Sally about that later he hurriedly scribbled his signature before hastily pushing the papers back at the guard. Another guard opened the door to the cell and ushered him in. Before the guard turned to leave he spoke under his breath to Wufei,
"There is surveillance in the room. Your superior requested we turn it off. If he hurts you or vice versa… We'll be in every 5 minutes to check on you." Wufei grunted his response, unhappy about the prospect of being interrupted every five minutes.
The room was small, and sparsely furnished, yet was by no means as stuffy and uncomfortable as the normal police holding cells.
'This guy had better consider himself lucky for getting such 'special' treatment after all he's done,' Wufei scowled mentally. The prisoner was sitting at the lone table, hands cuffed in front of him. Sitting down across from him Wufei glared, but the prisoner refused to raise him eyes.
"What's you name?" he spat. He was greeted with silence. "I said what's your name?" Still no answer. He asked this question several more times, still to the same result. Finally when Wufei was sure that if he had to ask one more time he would have a hard time restraining himself from leaping over the table and tackling the unresponsive criminal, the guard came in on his five minute check. He nodded and was about to leave when Wufei spoke up, his eyes never once leaving the form sitting opposite him.
"What's his name?"
"We don't know. He didn't have any identification at all on him when we took him into custody, so we call him John Doe. Creative huh?" Wufei rolled his eyes and turned back to 'John', and taking the hint the guard promptly left.
Silence.
"So why'd you do it? Thought you could get away with it?"
Eyes narrowed and fists clench.
"Who'd you work for? Alone or was there some one else help you out?"
Small smirk down at the table.
"So how did you get the plans?"
Stiffens in surprise.
"Yeah, we know you had them. So, who did you find willing to sneak them out for you," he paused, "Oh, but that's right, you didn't need someone to sneak the prints out for you."
No noticeable shock.
"Yes, that's right, the plans you got are in public reference at the city library. So, whatever you or any of the rumours I've heard going around think, what you hit was a civilian office building."
Features perfectly calm and controlled.
"So why did you do it then? Did you mean to kill her?"
A small smirk found its way to his lips.
"You meant to kill her?" Wufei spat, his anger reaching breaking point.
He raised his eyes to meet Wufei's.
Wufei cried out and jumped over the table, swiftly grabbing the other man in a lock. No sooner had he connected two punches did the guard open the door on his regular check. Seeing the position they were in Wufei growled and hesitantly let go of the other man who, grabbing his stomach, moved away towards the small bed, eyes still glowing with malevolence.
"Out. Now," the guard bellowed. Realising that he probably wouldn't get anymore information out of the guy, without being allowed to beat him to a pulp and use methods just short of torture, 'hmmm,' maybe even torture, he held his hands up and glared at the guard, who took no notice of him as he checked the cell over and then locked the door behind him.
'Fifteen minutes and not a single word out of the guy,' he shook his head. Not only did he fail to confirm or deny any of these theories, but he knew that Lady Une would not be happy with him. Ripping off his nametag, he felt the small pin in his shirt pocket. He froze looking back at the well-guarded cell door. 'No, the guards definitely won't let me back in there now,' he sighed and decided that he'd just have to ask Sally about it later.


~~~


Duo sat back at his desk. He hadn't thought he could handle much more excitement today, but looking down at the papers on his desk he had forgotten his resolve. They had brought him something akin to relief at first when he saw them, but that was quickly replaced by anger and fear.
The numbers, charts and diagrams meant nothing to him; it was only the circled phrase at the bottom he understood, and to him it was all that was important. Suddenly feeling better about having snuck around in the morning he tilted back in his chair thinking about what to do now that he knew for certain. He knew the other's would undoubtedly know soon as well, Sally had been there after all, and they all knew she'd be thorough with whatever she did, but some how it felt right that he be the one to tell Heero. He'd done it before, why not again, besides, he was better at predicting Heero's targets now.
Despite his relief he was still worried about how Heero would react this time round. 'That is, if we can find him,' he thought shaking his head with remorse. He felt he had let Heero run away too easily, and now when he needed Heero here things would be a while lot more difficult.
'Maybe I should talk to Zech's first,' he thought. He shivered a bit, not having fond memories of the guy, but decided that being her brother, he needed to know as well, then again, he hadn't been as hard to convince in the first place, or so he'd heard. In fact, the only people he knew who seemed to have talked to Zechs' were Noin and Trowa. After Noin's little outburst at the meeting yesterday he realised he was safer going to ask Trowa about Zechs.
"He's," he began then paused. "He is with Relena right now."
'Wait a sec… Zechs never went to visit 'Relena'… His name wasn't on the list at the morgue… If Zechs' wasn't with 'Relena', then,' he looked down at the papers on his desk for reassurance, his eyes immediately narrowing and his pulsing quickening in anger. 'Trowa!'


~~~


She was unpacking her stuff when Heero walked into their room, hands clasped behind his back. Without turning she spoke,
"You weren't there," her tone was cold and icy.
"I know."
"Well, I didn't," she pulled out some more clothes and folded them, making no move to put them away.
"Look, I know…"
"From what you said when we talked, I thought you were going to be there," she pulled out a sweater and held it up as if inspecting it and put it back in the suitcase.
"I did mean to be there…"
"So why weren't you, huh? What was so important that you couldn't have told me not to wait around for you?" He shifted his hands behind his back rather nervously.
"I know…"
"You know what Heero?" she finally turned around. "You said you were going to be there!"
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Yeah, real sorry I bet," she growled moving into the bathroom. Heero watched her go, only his eyes betraying his slight hurt and frustration. He walked over to her bed and placed a small box on top of the suitcase and left the room.
Relena walked back into the room, carrying a basket, which she placed beside the bed. Looking down at the suitcase she saw the box, and her head snapped up, eyes carefully scanning the room for Heero, but he had left. Slowly she opened it, and any anger she had dissolved into confusion. She turned the box around in her hand, and then clutched it to her chest, running after Heero.
She found him in the kitchen, sitting at his laptop. He looked up at her for a moment before looking back at the screen.
"What's this?" she said holding up the box, her voice laced with genuine curiosity.
"It's for you." She nodded, turning the box around in the light.
"What's it for?"
"A promise."
"Oh," she replied, holding it a little farther from her as if weary of it, yet she continued to look at in awe. "We never talked about…"
"It's a promise ring Relena," he stated.
"Oh," she whispered, pulling it back to her face now that it wasn't quite so threatening. "It's sweet Heero." She looked over towards where had been sitting, surprised to find him standing right in front of her. He carefully took the box from her hands and looked up into her eyes questioningly. She nodded slowly and he took the ring out of the box and handed it to her to put on. She moved her hand around, watching it with wonder, as she got accustomed to it.
"Very sweet of you…" she whispered, and then looking playfully up into his eyes continued, "But you know Heero, I am still upset with you about before."
"I know," he replied, leaning over to kiss her.
'A promise ring…'
'I promise love, you'll be happy…'and with that he captured her lips in a sweet kiss.


~~~


She stepped out of the bathroom, the steam escaping and swirling around her. She yawned sleepily as she made her way down the hall. She could hear the TV quietly in the background and as she approached the room she could hear the low drone of a newscast presenter. Rubbing the towel over her damp hair she padded into the room, flopping into a large armchair. Letting the towel rest on her shoulders she looked at the man sitting on the couch, his face was unreadable as he watched the news flashes.
"…And the lead story tonight that of the tragic bombing on earth today…" She cringed as she saw the pictures; the destruction and the casualties. It was really terrible and she felt her heart clench at the sight of it, but what she saw next caused her heart to beat faster.
'Heero.'
"Zechs. I'm not so sure about this anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not so sure this is right of us to lie like this."
"It wont be for too much longer."
"I know… It's still not right."
Zech turned back to the muted TV.
"I guess I'll have to talk to Lady Une about it soon. I'll also have to make a public statement, unless of course you would rather do it yourself," he turned to her. She looked back at the still image of the building with Heero standing in the back next to a very ill looking Duo. He watched the colour drain from her cheeks and she shook her head slowly.
"No. I think I'd rather you did." He grunted in acknowledgement. "Well I guess I had better dry my hair," she said rising from her chair and moving over towards the hallway. Remembering something, she turned back,
"Oh, and Zechs, you don't have to talk to Lady Une."
"Huh? Why would that be?"
"I'll have Trowa do it."
"You told Trowa!?" Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Of course," he turned back to the TV and she left the room.
"You had better know what you are doing," he said to her retreating form.
'Relena.'


~~~


Duo was mad, no, he was beyond mad, he was beyond furious, even his namesake, the god of death, couldn't have known the kind of rage the that possessed Duo. Ignoring the questioning looks from the people he passed he stormed down the hall. He knew where he was going and no one could stop him, and from the terrified looks of those along the way, no one was about to try.
When he reached the door to his destination he didn't bother knocking. He simply threw his weight against the door causing it to squeak in resistance before giving way, letting Duo fly into the room. Then he glared with all the anger he had in him and held the papers in his left hand up, using the other hand to point accusingly at Trowa Barton.
"YOU!"